Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has expressed delight at his team’s growing confidence following his team’s victory over Egypt, Soccernet.ng reports.
A morale-boosting 2-1 victory over host nation Egypt in a pre-tournament friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday has set up Zubairu’s troops ahead of their first group game.
The friendly win comes just 48 hours after the Nigerian U-20 squad landed in the Egyptian capital, and Zubairu believes the result offers the perfect boost ahead of their U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opening match against Tunisia.
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“That result has provided a good impetus for us as we prepare to face the Tunisians – another North African opposition,” Zubairu said. “You need a result like that when you’re preparing for a competition like this. It does not mean that we will rest on our oars; it only serves to give us much-needed confidence and ginger us to face our challenges better.”
Nigeria, seven-time U-20 African champions and two-time FIFA U-20 World Cup runners-up, are placed in a tough group that includes Tunisia, Morocco, and Kenya. But Zubairu remains optimistic about their chances.
“We will go for the maximum points against the Tunisians and then take it one step at a time as we forge ahead,” he added.
The Flying Eagles are scheduled to kick off their U-20 AFCON campaign on Thursday, May 1, in Cairo, as they aim to secure one of four continental tickets to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year.