The head coach of the Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has downplayed concerns about the team’s group draw for the 2024 U-20 AFCON in Egypt. Nigeria has been drawn in Group B alongside Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco.
“I think it’s high time we stopped looking at some teams as bigger while some as smaller,” Zubairu said. “I don’t think there’s any minor opposition in Africa any longer. It all depends on your level of preparation.”
The draw was redrawn after the withdrawal of former hosts Ivory Coast. Initially, Nigeria was drawn alongside Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco. Zubairu believes that preparation is key to success, regardless of the opposition.
“Imagine when the first draw was done, we called it a group of death simply because we were drawn alongside Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco,” he said. “Now we have a new draw that consists of Tunisia, and Kenya with the same Morocco we have started saying another difficult group. Which country do we want to play that is not tough? All I will say is how much we have prepared is what should be the issue.”
The Flying Eagles have been in good form, winning the WAFU B U-20 Championship last year and embarking on a successful closed camp in Katsina. Zubairu is confident that the team has made significant progress.
“Going by what we observed in Katsina, the team has made a tremendous improvement in terms of blending the team and adapting a more advanced approach to matches,” he said. “There’s no pressure of any kind. All we’re doing is to keep focus to achieve our first target, which is to get a ticket to the World Cup.”
The team is expected to fly to Egypt this week for an eight-day final phase preparation before the competition commences. The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
Tournament Groups
- Group A: Egypt, South Africa, Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania
- Group B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco
- Group C: Senegal, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ghana
The Flying Eagles are determined to make a strong showing in the tournament and secure a spot in the World Cup. With their focus on preparation and teamwork, they are poised to make a deep run in the competition.