Nigeria’s boss Zubairu discusses Tunisia, Flying Eagles preparation, World Cup ticket pre-U20 Afcon opener

Nigeria’s U-20 head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, has shared his thoughts regarding a number of topics as the Flying Eagles gear up to chase a record-extending eight continental titles in Egypt, Footynaija.com reports.

The former El-Kanemi Warriors coach says the Flying Eagles are “very much prepared” ahead of their opening match against Tunisia at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Zubairu, speaking to the team’s media officer Sharif Abdallah, outlined the side’s intense preparations and stressed that confidence is high as they look to begin their campaign on a strong note.

Nigeria U20 pic.twitter.com/qgAwzvSlHP

— Geoffrey Lea (@Geoffrey87Lea) April 29, 2025

“We are very much prepared,” he said. “If you look at the journey, we started the preparation from Abuja to Katsina, Katsina to Abuja, and now we’re in Egypt waiting for the D-day, which is tomorrow—our first match against Tunisia. Definitely, the boys are ready.”

The Flying Eagles go into Thursday’s game with history on their side, having convincingly beaten Tunisia 4-0 in the third-place match of the 2023 edition of the tournament. However, Zubairu was quick to downplay any sense of expectation or pressure to replicate that result.

“There’s not any pressure from any angle. It shouldn’t be pressure—it should serve as motivation,” he said.

“Even though you don’t dwell on the past, as it is, yes, we beat them 4-0 the last time, but this is a different scenario with two different teams, even though they represent the same countries. So I don’t see it as pressure. History can always play a role in motivating a team, so it’s going to serve as a motivation.”

Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu has selected first-choice goalkeeper Ifeanyi Harcourt, defender and captain Daniel Bameyi, midfielder Sulaiman Alabi Jojo and forward Kparobo Arierhi among a squad of 24 for this year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place in Egypt. The tournament gets pic.twitter.com/13KbGRXc5S

— The NFF (@thenff) April 17, 2025

The bigger picture for Zubairu’s side is qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He emphasised that while winning the trophy is desirable, the immediate priority is to reach the semi-finals and secure a ticket to the global tournament.

“We wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on the boys. They want to win the trophy, but the first target now is to get the ticket to the World Cup,” he said.

“By the time we get to the semi-final stage, then we’ll sit down with them again and decide where we want to be. But definitely, the first target now is to get to the World Cup.”

Nigeria will play in Group B at the U20 AFCON in Egypt.

This is a group of de@th. pic.twitter.com/LbJIwbNYEP

— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) April 13, 2025

Zubairu also sent a heartfelt message to the team’s loyal supporters, urging Nigerians to stay behind the squad.

“We all know Nigerians. Anytime any Nigerian team is playing, their attention is always there. They leave all their businesses, everything they are doing, to concentrate on the game,” he noted.

“We wouldn’t want to let them down. But accordingly, their prayers are very, very important for us. We need their support and prayers so that the team can always perform and excel to the level we want.”

The Flying Eagles will face Tunisia on Thursday as they aim to kick-start their campaign with a statement win in Egypt.