'We stood our ground' - Zubairu applauds Flying Eagles fighting spirit in draw against Colombia

Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu expressed pride in his team's determination and tactical approach after Nigeria held Colombia to a 1-1 draw, sealing their place in the knockout stage of the Fifa U20 World Cup in Chile.

Reflecting on the performance, Zubairu admitted that it was a difficult contest against a physically dominant opponent.

"It wasn’t easy but we stood our ground and were proactive," he told Fifa's official website after the match. 

"We knew they are physically strong and good on the ball so we tried to deny them passing lanes and that gave us a little edge.”

The Flying Eagles showed great discipline and determination after falling behind in the second half, with captain Daniel Bameyi converting a late penalty to secure a crucial point. 

Zubairu praised his players for maintaining focus and sticking to the tactical plan despite the pressure.

He added that the team’s main goal was to reach the knockout phase, regardless of the opposition. 

"All we wanted was to qualify for the next round and we are not worried about who we have to face," Zubairu said.

Nigeria's draw against Colombia means they advance as one of the best third-placed teams and will face Argentina in the round of 16 at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago on October 8.
 

Wale Adejumo

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