Zubairu shifts focus to Kenya game as Nigeria target U20-AFCON quarters

Photo Credit - NFF Media.

Nigeria's U-20 men’s team, the Flying Eagles, have a rich history in the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament where they first played in 1979, where they received a bye in the preliminary round but finished in third place by defeating Ethiopia 2-0.

They then went on to win the competition seven times, becoming the most decorated team in the tournament. This is Nigeria’s 14th appearance at the U-20 AFCON. Since their inaugural debut on home soil in Benin City and Lagos.

Their golden eras in the 1980s saw them achieve an unprecedented four consecutive championship in 1983, 1985, 1987, and 1989 which where all hosted on home soil, cementing their legacy as the U20 powerhouse of Africa.

In 1995 in Nigeria, they secured another third-place finish. They reached the final in 1999 in Ghana, ultimately finishing as runners-up. The early 21st century saw them reclaim the championship title for the fifth time in 2005 in Benin, adding another golden chapter to their history. Their consistency remained evident as they finished as runners-up again in 2007 in Congo. Before securing another third place in 2009 in Rwanda.

Nigeria's, Flying Eagles then soared to their sixth title in 2011 in South Africa, before added their seventh in 2015 in Senegal. They finished in fourth place in 2019 in Niger, and in the last edition in 2023 held in Egypt, they once again demonstrated their resilience by claiming the third-place position.

With the ongoing AFCON Egypt, the most successful team in the tournament are setting their sights on an eighth title as they are unbeaten, winning their first match 1-0 against Tunisia before drawing their second Group B game against Morocco.

Speaking after their draw, the Flying Eagles captain and man of the match Daniel Bameyi, reckoned the Moroccans made things difficult for his side, as the aim was to qualify for the quarter-finals through the game.

“It was a good one. Respect to the opponent, and my teammates. It was an intense game because we both knew what was at stake,” said Bameyi. “Kudos to our coaches because they had the opportunity to see our opponents, and there were some tactical plays which we put into the field of play, and it was okay.”

Meanwhile, after his sides draw against Morocco on Sunday night, head coach of the Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu has turned his team’s attention to their last Group B match against Kenya, as he tagged it a must win encounter for his boys.

“We will approach the game against Kenya with all sense of positivity. They are a good side and we will play against them with a lot of respect even though they are yet to get a point in this group. We will play with all the concentration to get the three points,” explained Zubairu.

The most decorated U20 AFCON side now set their sights on Wednesday encounter where they will face Kenya at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, with the hope to create more history in the tournament.