'Nigeria U23s Have Good Players In Elite Leagues' - Sudan Coach Admits Dream Team Supremacy

Published: March 28, 2019

Sudan's U-23 national team coach Zdravko Logarusic has offered his opinion on why his team advanced to the next round of qualifiers to the CAF U-23 AFCON to be hosted by Egypt in November at the expense of Kenya.

By getting past the East African foes on Tuesday, Sudan have set up a two game fixture with Nigeria on June 5 and 9 with Nigeria's U-23 side coached by Imama Amapakabo hosting the return leg at home.

"Kenya was tougher than they were in the first leg in Khartoum, they looked organized and attacked us from the beginning " Goal.com quotes the Croatian as saying.

''They capitalized on our shaky start and created eight scoring opportunities that they failed to use.

"I believe if they could have scored early, things would have been tougher for us, but since they did not, we got a lifeline."

The coach however considers Nigeria who defeated Libya 4-0 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on Monday to advance 4-2 on aggregate as the stronger side for the June games.

"Our chances against Nigeria are very slim, they have good players playing in elite leagues as compared to ours who are in the second and third division."

The U-23 AFCON will produce Africa's representatives at the football event of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Izuchukwu Okosi