Golden Eaglets coach Nduka Ugbade has spoken against his team’s inability to find the back of the net in their 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the TotalEnergies Africa U-17 Cup of Nations on Wednesday.
Nigeria went behind in the second minute after Tochukwu Ogboji put the ball into his own net.
Ugbade’s boys were in control for much of the game but were let down by their inability to finish off chances they created.
Ugbade acknowledged such is a natural occurrence but stressed on the need for his team to correct them in their final Group B game against South Africa which would determine their qualification fate.
“Everything worked absolutely well. We controlled the game but tactically Morocco controlled the outcome,” the former Remo Stars manager said after the game.
“We had some few mistakes as well but we created so many chances, and the only problem is that we couldn’t score.
“It does happen in football. It is not a strange thing, but it is important to correct and ensure we are more efficient infront of goal.
“We must be more efficient with the chances we have. We will try to look for some different ways tactically to impact the outcome of the game [against South Africa]. We have a chance, but also, that chance can fade away. We have to work hard.”
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Morocco have qualified for the knockout phase after two victories from two games.
The Golden Eaglets must get a result against South Africa when both sides meet on Saturday to stand a chance of progressing and keep their hopes of making it to the FIFA U-17 World Cup alive.
