Head Coach of Nigeria’s U20 national team, Aliyu Zubairu, has promised a more composed and confident Flying Eagles performance when they face South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday evening in Ismailia, Egypt.
Zubairu, who led El-Kanemi Warriors to a Federation Cup title last year, expressed confidence that his team will play with greater freedom now that the pressure of qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup is off their shoulders.
“I believe we are going to have a great semi-final 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 ourselves and the defending champions on Monday,” he said yesterday.
The Flying Eagles edged out defending champions Senegal 3-1 on penalties after a gruelling goalless draw in regulation and extra time on Monday, a win many pundits have described as a tactical and mental triumph for the seven-time African champions.
“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,” Zubairu added.
The coach noted that his team has shown steady improvement since their opening game against Tunisia on May 1 and believes they are peaking at the right time.
“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.”
South Africa also endured a tough quarter-final, needing 120 minutes to edge past DR Congo 1-0 at the same venue, setting up Thursday’s showdown against the most successful team in tournament history.
Historically, Nigeria has dominated the U20 AFCON with seven titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015) and two silver and bronze finishes. In contrast, South Africa’s best finish came in 1997, when they ended as runners-up to hosts Morocco in their debut appearance.
While Nigeria did not qualify for that edition, both nations met in the 2009 third-place match, with the Flying Eagles winning 2-1. In 2019, Nigeria again defeated South Africa on penalties to claim bronze after both teams had drawn 0-0 in the group stage.
In the other semi-final, hosts Egypt—four-time champions and conquerors of 1999 world champions Ghana—will face Morocco in Cairo. Both semi-finals promise high-stakes football as four continental giants battle for a place in the final.
