Former Nigerian winger Dimeji Lawal has given his verdict ahead of the Flying Eagles’ second Group B fixture against Morocco at the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria’s U20 side, led by coach Aliyu Zubairu, began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Tunisia in Cairo. Auwal Ibrahim scored the only goal of the game in the first half after linking up with Odinaka Okoro. That result gave the Flying Eagles three points and a confidence boost going into their next challenge.
Morocco also picked up maximum points in their opener, making a 3-2 in comeback against Kenya in an entertaining match. With both teams tied at the top of the group, the clash between Nigeria and Morocco is expected to be an interesting one in the race for quarter-final qualification.
Lawal, who represented Nigeria at both youth and senior levels, predicted a tough contest but backed the Flying Eagles to deliver a strong performance.
“I expect a tough and cagey game considering the fact that both teams won their respective opening group games,” he said.
He highlighted the team’s ability to step up in big matches, saying,
“The Flying Eagles have shown in most games that they have played prior to this competition that they usually raise the standard of their play against strong teams.”
“The game against Morocco won’t be different, and I believe the boys will come out victorious at the end of the day,” Lawal added in an interview with Completesports ahead of the match.