Flying Eagles coach on third-place playoff, loss to South Africa, U20 World Cup & more

Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has reaffirmed his team’s commitment to securing third place at the ongoing CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, as Nigeria prepares to face Egypt on Sunday at the 30 June Stadium.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Zubairu admitted that missing out on the final was disappointing but emphasized the team’s desire to finish the tournament on a high with a victory in the third-place playoff.

"The preparation is a consolation preparation. That was not our bargain,” Zubairu said.

"We had wanted to be at the finals, but it didn't go the way we wanted. But all the same, we have third place to redeem our image and console ourselves and the whole nation."

Zubairu also dismissed suggestions that the team had begun preparing for the FIFA U20 World Cup, saying the immediate focus is to complete the current tournament with a positive result.

"Not really, we have to finish the Nations Cup and go and sit down and look at the team,” he said.

"If it needs total overall and heavy fortification, if it needs it, which I believe it does, but we cannot talk about that the World Cup now.

He added: "Let's get the relief of this Nations Cup and the surprise result that we had against South Africa."

"Let's overcome that, and after the third place, we'll go back, and we'll come out with a road map that is leading towards the World Cup."

Reflecting on Nigeria’s performance at the last U20 World Cup in Argentina—where the team reached the quarterfinals and finished as Africa’s best side—Zubairu expressed his ambition to exceed that benchmark.

"When a record is set at any sporting event - football, as the case may be, to be precise- If your predecessor set a record, it is always good for the betterment of the country, the team, and the coach to at least go ahead of the record set.

"At worst, if you cannot beat the record, you should be able to meet up with the record. But definitely, we'll work towards seeing that we beat the record and go ahead of the last record."

Zubairu also urged caution regarding expectations for player progression to the senior national team, noting that development remains a process.

"The team is under 20, which is in the rebuilding process, until we get to the World Cup and finish the tournament, then we can evaluate which player can get to the Super Eagles."

Nigeria will battle Egypt on Sunday with hopes of salvaging a podium finish and ending the tournament on a strong note.

Adeyemi Adewale

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