WAFU-B Cup: Flying Eagles' Coach Aliyu Zubairu Confident Ahead of Ghana Match

WAFU-B Cup: Flying Eagles' Coach Aliyu Zubairu Confident Ahead of Ghana Match


The head coach of Nigeria's Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has expressed confidence in his team's preparation ahead of their opening fixture against Ghana at the WAFU B U20 Tournament in Ghana.

The Nigerian team, who are the winners of the last two editions of the WAFU B U20 Championships (hosted by Niger Republic and Togo respectively), will take on hosts Ghana in the opening match of Group A today, Thursday, from 3pm. Venue is the Prampram Centre in Accra.

Speaking in a pre-match chat, Coach Zubairu praised the team's access to facilities, saying it has significantly aided their preparation. 

He said "The preparation has been so good, considering the fact that we have gotten access to facilities since we came here, and it has really helped," he said.

The coach emphasized that his primary objective is to evaluate new players and assess their ability to excel in high-pressure situations. 

"I think as a coach, the most important thing is for me to be able to evaluate the newcomers and see how they can manage and excel in situations like this," he explained.

Coach Zubairu acknowledged the historic rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana but emphasized that the team's focus is on assessing the new players' fit within the team. 

"Ghana and Nigerian rivalry is not starting with today's match, neither will it end today, and the players understand that," he added.

The tournament is also expected to serve as preparatory for the Flying Eagles ahead of FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Chile in September-October this year.

It would be recalled that Coach Aliyu Zubairu who led the team to qualifying for the World Cup and claimed a third place finish at the AFCON in Egypt in May this year had earlier led the team to winning the WAFU-B qualifying tournament back in October 2024 after defeating Ghana 2-1 in the final in Togo

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