After wrapping up a vital 12-day coaching camp that featured worldwide friendlies in opposition to Chile and Australia, Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has expressed satisfaction together with his aspect’s progress and confidence heading into the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Nigeria’s U-20s performed out a 1-1 draw in opposition to Chile earlier than recording an emphatic victory over Australia, scoring three objectives within the course of. For Zubairu, the outcomes are secondary; the true acquire lies within the staff’s evolution.
Reflecting on the 12-day preparation interval, the coach pressured that the matches served extra as laboratories for enchancment than as exhibitions of dominance.
“Now we have gone a great distance. Such as you talked about, the 2 matches that we performed, I feel the result or the results of the matches will not be even what issues to us.
“What issues most is for us to establish the place our issues are and to work on them. The place the deficiencies are, to work on them, which we’re capable of detect.”
The Chile encounter uncovered flaws, however the Flying Eagles confirmed marked progress in opposition to Australia, one thing Zubairu was fast to focus on.
“Should you see our match in opposition to Chile, we observed a number of deficiencies and we labored on them. And we realised in opposition to Australia, the corrections we made, they actually labored. And we see enchancment within the correction.
“The matches, the 2 matches are going to present us confidence, and it’s going to present us bearing for us to method the World Cup correct. We actually gained one or two issues from the matches.”
Addressing the goal-scoring query
One of many obvious weaknesses through the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Egypt was Nigeria’s lack of innovative in assault. The staff struggled for objectives, and the frontline typically lacked sharpness within the closing third.
However in simply two friendlies on overseas soil, the Flying Eagles have already scored 4 occasions, with totally different gamers discovering the online.
That, for Zubairu, is proof that issues are altering.
“Sure, in comparison with what occurred in AFCON, there’s a number of enchancment. The 4 objectives we have now scored right here, you possibly can see that totally different gamers scored the 4 objectives. Which was not like that in AFCON; our assaults weren’t biting in any respect throughout AFCON.
“However from the 2 matches we have now performed, we have now seen a number of enchancment. The assault is biting higher now, and we’re exploiting all of the areas within the closing third of the opponent.
I consider that, earlier than the World Cup correct, the little time we have now, we’re nonetheless going to work extra on it. And I consider we’re going to get it higher through the World Cup correct.”
The highway forward
With Norway awaiting Nigeria of their World Cup opener on Monday, 29 September, Zubairu’s Flying Eagles are banking on the teachings from Chile and Australia to fine-tune their tactical self-discipline and sharpen their offensive chunk.
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Nigeria has a proud historical past on the FIFA U-20 World Cup, ending as runners-up twice (1989 and 2005) and persistently producing stars who graduate to the Tremendous Eagles.
Zubairu’s job is not only to compete however to make sure his gamers embrace the identical successful mentality that made previous generations fearless.
The coach is assured his staff is on the proper path for now.
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