Flying Eagles coach, Aliyu Zubairu has assured that the team would be even better when they take on South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the ongoing CAF U20 Cup of Nations in the city of Ismailia on Thursday evening.
“I believe we are going to have a great semifinal against the South Africans. I can guarantee that our approach will be much better, as the anxiety of whether or not we will earn a FIFA World Cup ticket is no longer there. It was a tense 120 minutes for us and the defending champion on Monday.
“We have the World Cup ticket now and are quite happy. Against South Africa, we will play with great determination and composure, as we aim for the trophy, but without the tense atmosphere around the last match. Of course, we know the little matter of the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa and what the game means, and we will go in there to do a real battle,” coach Zubairu said on Tuesday.
He believes his team has improved considerably since the first match against Tunisia on the first day of May. “We can all see that the team has improved, and actually getting better with each match. We will go all out against the South Africans.”
Apart from the seven titles, Nigeria has also finished as runners-up on two occasions (1999 and 2007), and as bronze medalists on two other occasions as well (2009 and 2013).
In the second semi-final on Thursday, hosts and four-time winners Egypt – conquerors of 1999 world champions Ghana -will take on Morocco in Cairo.