Nigeria’s youth national team, Flying Eagles’ coach, Aliyu Zubairu has disclosed that the target he set for himself ahead of this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile is to win the competition as Ghana did in 2009.
Sports247 reports that the Flying Eagles on Saturday continued their build-up up to this year’s global youth competition with a friendly match against the host country, Chile, and the game ended 1-1 in Rancagua.
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Ahmed Akinyele headed Zubairu’s team in front after 18 minutes, but Felipe Faundez pulled Chile level in the 36th, as both sides intensified preparations towards the competition’s kick-off billed for next weekend.
Zubairu will again line his side out on Tuesday against Australia for their last build-up match, after which they will take on Norway in their opening group fixture at Chile 2025, then later on tango Saudi Arabia and Colombia in their other first round games.
As the countdown gets tighter to the big kick-off in Santiago, Zubairu parried all talk about pressure on him to make history, preferring instead to tag it a challenge and target that he has set for himself.
“There’s no coaching assignment that doesn’t go with pressure. But, for me, it’s just a challenge … which is the target that you set for yourself.
“Once you set the target, and the boys fully understand the task, you have to start working towards it,” said the former handler of El-Kanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri.
He then disclosed that he is highly desirous of making history as the next coach to lead an African team to win the competition, as was done by Ghana’s Black Satellites at the 2009 edition in Egypt.
“My target is knowing it would be good if Nigeria can meet up with Ghana’s record. Before they won it in 2009 in Egypt, Nigeria had been the best African country, with a record of reaching the final twice.
“Eventually, when the time came, Ghana surpassed our record … but we can also win it. Why not? If we can work towards meeting up with what Ghana has done, it would be really nice.
“So, I don’t see it as pressure. It’s a challenge, and we are working towards it,” affirned Zubairu, who had previously coached Kwara United of Ilorin, Wikki Tourits of Bauchi and Gombe United
