President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, is hopeful Nigeria’s under-20 men’s team, the Flying Eagles, can bounce back from their opening defeat in the ongoing WAFU B U20 Championship in Lome, Togo.
The Flying Eagles, coached by Aliyu Zubairu, lost their opening match 1-0 to Burkina Faso, as they were undone by a second-half strike from Fandino Dramane Coulibaly at the Municipal Stadium.
Nigeria, who are the defending champions of the tournament, will face Ivory Coast next in their final group game, with the encounter being a must-win for the Flying Eagles if they are to have any chance of qualifying from their three-team Group B.
“I am not happy about the result,” stated Gusau, who was present at the match on Friday. “We expected a win and the three points, particularly as they are in a three-team group which can be delicate.
“Nigerians are expecting so much from the team. As defending champions, it will not be good for us not to qualify for the U20 AFCON, having reached the quarter-finals at the FIFA World Cup last year.
“However, I believe the coaches and the players will sit up and come up with a strategy to overcome the Ivorians,” he added.
The job was made tougher for the Flying Eagles, who are currently bottom of the standings following Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Burkina Faso on Sunday, to throw the group wide open.
The seven-time African champions must now see off the Young Elephants by at least a two-goal margin if they are to secure a place in the semifinals and move closer to qualifying for next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Flying Eagles will look to overcome Ivory Coast at the Municipal Stadium in Lome on Thursday, October 23, with the match scheduled for 4 p.m. Nigeria time.
