Nigeria’s youth national team, Flying Eagles’ coach Aliyu Zubairu, has described his side’s qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup as a reward for several months of hard work by his players and the technical crew.
Sports247 reports that the team picked the continent’s first ticket to Chile 2025 on Monday, after pipping Senegal 3-1 via a penalties shootout, following a goalless end to extra time in their Africa U20 Cup of Nations quarter-finals clash.
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The feat came in contrast with widespread fear harboured by many Nigerians before the game, considering that Senegal was the defending champions and had beaten the Flying Eagles in their last three confrontations.
However, the gritty game at Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt ended in the Flying Eagles’ favour, and Zubairu praised his players for working hard to make Nigerians happy.
Zubairu recounted with delight, “Everything we’ve been doing from WAFU up to the group stage of this competition was working towards the World Cup ticket.
“This match was the most important for us right from the days of WAFU. We have really worked hard, and the boys are always ready to carry out their duties accordingly.”
Zubairu, who is also the substantive head coach of El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), concluded by talking about what going to the U20 World Cup means to him as a tactician, to the careers of his players and to Nigerian football lovers.
“Being able to coach a team at the World Cup will add to your CV … for the players as well. A lot of Nigerians are also looking forward to seeing this team at the World Cup, and we won’t let them down. We fully understand how important going to the World Cup is to Nigerians,” Zubairu assured.
