The Head Coach of the Flying Eagles of Nigeria, Coach Aliyu Zubairu, has reacted to the FIFA U-20 World Cup draw, which was made in Chile on Thursday. Nigeria’s Flying Eagles were drawn in Group F alongside Colombia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway in a draw held in Santiago, Chile.
Aliyu, while reflecting on the draw, noted that Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup is a testament to the country’s football excellence. He added that the priority of his team is to prepare and compete well in the World Cup. “My thoughts about the draw are positive. It’s very good that Nigeria is one of the countries participating in the World Cup proper.”
The coach noted that the just-concluded U20 AFCON in Egypt helped the technical crew understand where improvements are needed and is committed to working towards it.
Aliyu emphasized that the team’s possession-based style was evident at the last AFCON but admitted that goal scoring was the major bane at the African showpiece.
He said “We will fortify the team in all departments before the World Cup, particularly in attack, by bringing in players who will be more clinical in front of goal- these players can be from within Nigeria or those playing abroad; so long you are good to fit in and you are eligible agewise -where you are coming from is irrelevant”
“We are going to prepare a team that can play with higher possession and intensity, transform possession into goals, and defend effectively.” He added.
The Nigerian team has been in the finals of the U20 World Cup twice, and Aliyu expressed optimism that the team will surpass its past record, with winning the trophy being the main target.
Aliyu also said that he’s more concerned about adequate preparation of his team and downplayed the narrative of either being drawn in a tough or easy group, noting that the team is always prepared for any challenge as evident in the last AFCON when the initial draw was changed due to the withdrawal of Cote’Divoire as the host Nation.
He quipped, “I have said it times without number that there’s nothing like a group of death or a weaker group, but it’s the level of preparation of each team that matters.”
“As part of the preparation, we have the WAFU invitational tournament in Ghana sometime in June and we are going to participate in it- after that, we intend to commence preparation for the World Cup early, though subject to NFF’s approval,” he stated.
Coach Aliyu also urged Nigerians to believe in the team and continue to support the team, especially now that they are on the world stage. The FIFA U20 Cup is scheduled to be held in Chile from 27 September to 19 October.
For the tournament, the top two teams from each of the six groups will advance to the Round of 16, as well as the four best third-placed teams.
