Nigeria’s youth national team, Flying Eagles’ coach, Aliyu Zubairu is looking beyond Wednesday’s clash with Argentina at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, as he stressed that the squad’s target is to achieve Nigeria’s first ever conquest of the junior global trophy.
Sports247 reports that the Flying Eagles will this Wednesday battle the youth competition’s record winning country for a place in the quarter-finals at Chile 2025, but Zubairu further didclosed that he has also set his mind on going all the way to the final and then lift the cup.
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He further acknowledged that his squad would only be celebrated by Nigerians if they make history and set a new record by surpassing the runners-up spots achieved by Coach Tunde Disu’s team at Saudi ’89 and the one of Holland 2005 under Samson Siasia.
He added, “Anything short of the past record, Nigerians won’t accept it. You may think you have done well but, as far as Nigerians are concerned, the only thing that they call achievement is if you surpass the previous record.”
Although Zubairu also admitted that he and his players have to take each game one step at a time, the former head coach at El-Kanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri disclosed that he is already looking beyond reaching the quarter-finals of Chile 2025, which he would get with victory over Argentina on Wednesday.
“I don’t even think quarter-final is the target now. Nigeria was in the 1989 final, and Nigeria was in the final during Siaaia’s time in 2005.
“So, I think, the best result that can bring joy to the country is to surpass those records. I believe the boys really understand that, and they are working towards it … which I believe is very much achievable,” Zubairu enthused.
