Ilaji Sports Resort Sporting Director Babatunde Odubola has praised Akeem Busari’s technical qualities, discipline, and commitment to merit following Nigeria’s historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory.
Coach Odubola, popularly known as Zico, has reiterated this in a congratulatory message he sent to the head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, Akeem Ishola Busari, following his historic achievement of leading the team to its maiden FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
Zico, the Sporting Director of Ilaji Sports Resort, expressed delight at Busari’s achievement, describing it as a reward for the coach’s discipline, technical competence, and commitment to identifying players on merit.
The two coaches share a history dating back to their time at Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Ibadan, where they worked together and developed a cordial professional and personal relationship.
Speaking on Busari’s success, Odubola said he was not surprised by the achievement, having known the Flamingos coach’s football knowledge, professional discipline, and technical abilities long before his appointment to the national team.
In his congratulatory message, Odubola said, “We are good friends, and we’ve always been in regular contact with each other since we worked together at Shooting Stars. Hence, I can vouch for his high football technical pedigree. He selects without any favoritism, and that is why he could succeed with such a task. He will always do.”
In 2012, when Shooting Stars suspended then-head coach Festus Allen following a poor run of results, the club’s management assigned his assistants, Tunde Odubola and Akeem Busari, to take charge of the team ahead of the league season.
The experience provided an opportunity for both coaches to work closely within the technical structure of one of Nigeria’s historic football clubs.
Busari subsequently built an extensive coaching career, including spells with Gateway United, Bayelsa Queens, JSP FC, and Pacesetter Queens of Ibadan. He also played a role in Shooting Stars’ promotion to the Nigerian top flight during the 2008/2009 season.
Busari’s appointment as Flamingos’ head coach was announced by the Nigeria Football Federation on April 2, 2026, following a recommendation by its Technical and Development Committee.
He replaced Bankole Olowookere, who had guided Nigeria to bronze at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
Seven months into the assignment, Busari delivered an unprecedented achievement by guiding Nigeria to the 2026 world title in Morocco.
For Odubola, however, Busari’s success is not a surprise but rather a reflection of the qualities he had observed during their years of working together.
His congratulatory message also highlights the importance of professional relationships, coaching discipline, technical knowledge, and merit-based player selection in achieving success at the highest level of football.
The historic triumph has further brought attention to the contribution of indigenous Nigerian coaches to the development of football, particularly at the grassroots and youth levels.
Packaged by Olanrewaju Agiri
