U-20 FOOTBALL
Flying Eagles’ coach Zubairu accepts Group of Death challenge
The head coach of Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has voiced his optimism following Thursday’s group stage draw for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which will take place in Cote d’Ivoire, 26th April – 18th May.
The Nigerian team finds itself in a demanding group alongside traditional powerhouses Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa, all of whom have a rich history in African youth football.
In his reaction to the draw, Coach Zubairu remarked: “It’s a very good draw. If a team truly aspires to reach the FIFA World Cup, there is no need to shy away from any opponent.
“Facing Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa at this stage presents a tremendous opportunity. I believe it’s a blessing.”
This perspective not only highlights Zubairu’s confidence in his squad’s capabilities but also underscores his commitment to challenging his players against formidable rivals, which can ultimately foster their development and resilience.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Coach Zubairu stressed the necessity of mental preparation as his team gears up for these high-stakes matches.
He is keen on instilling a robust sense of self-belief within his players, emphasizing that they should approach every opponent with respect and seriousness.
“We need to dispel the notion that this is a ‘group of death,’” he said. “In African football, there are no small teams anymore. The key is to prepare very well. A lesser-known nation can surprise everyone if they come prepared.”
To ensure the team is adequately prepared for the task, the NFF has not only put the Flying Eagles in camp to resume training, with a 30-man squad but has also organised a two-match tour of Cairo for the team to play the Egyptian U20 team at the end of this month.
The friendly matches in Cairo have been scheduled for the 25th and 27th of February.
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Seven-time champions Nigeria will battle it out with tough customers Egypt, South Africa and Morocco in the group phase of this year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, scheduled for Cote d’Ivoire 26th April – 18th May.
The Flying Eagles pipped host nation Egypt 1-0 in a group phase match at the last edition of the competition and must ensure a great start to their campaign in Cote d’Ivoire to build confidence for a gritty tournament. Nigeria finished third in Egypt two years ago.
Former Malian player Adama Coulibaly, who was an assistant at the draw conducted inside the CAF headquarters in Egypt on Thursday, said: “There is no doubt that the toughest group is the group B that has Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Morocco.”
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire will have to contend with DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and the yet-to-emerge representative team of Central Africa zone, in a five-team group A.
Cup-holders Senegal head group C, which also has Zambia and two debutants Kenya and Sierra Leone.
The two top-placed teams in each group, alongside the best two third-placed finishers in the three groups, will advance to the championship’s quarter-finals.
GROUP A: Cote d’Ivoire, UNNIFAC, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania
GROUP B: Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco
GROUP C: Senegal, Zambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone
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Though qualified as the second team fromthe Central African Football Federations’ Union (UNIFFAC) for the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Cote d’Ivoire, Congo have been excluded from the final draw holding on Thursday.
This results from the suspension recently imposed on the Central African country by FIFA.
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Uruguay and Italy will play the final match of the U20 World Cup holding in Argentina. Uruguay beat Israel 1-0 while Italy defeated Korea Republic 2-1 in their respective semi-final matches played on Thursday night.
It is the first time that both countries will be playing the final match. Twelve countries have won the cup in the past.
Argentina with six titles and Brazil with five are the most winners followed by Portugal and Serbia with two victories.
The other eight have a title each. They are Ghana, Russia, Spain, Germany and England. The remaining are France, England and Ukraine.
In Thursday’s semi-finals, goals from Cesare Casadei and Simone Pafundi secured Italy the 2-1 win over Korea Republic.
In the earlier semi-finals, a predator’s goal from Anderson Duarte grabbed Uruguay victory over Israel.
The final match will be played on Sunday night.
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