Flying Eagles Coach Zubairu Confident Ahead of Tough Quarterfinal Against Senegal
Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, has said Nigeria are fully ready to beat Senegal in Monday’s crucial U20 AFCON quarterfinal match. The winner will qualify for both the semifinals and the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
Nigeria reached the quarterfinals after a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Kenya in their final Group D game. They will now face Senegal’s Lion Cubs at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia.
Senegal booked their place in the knockout stage by finishing second in their group after beating DR Congo 2-0.
Speaking after Nigeria’s first training session in Ismailia on Saturday, Zubairu said the match is very important and the team knows what is at stake.
“We know what to expect. It is a big game because the winner goes to the World Cup,” he said. “It’s like a final for us, and with the strong rivalry between Nigeria and Senegal, we must stay focused and disciplined from start to finish. That’s exactly what we’ll do.”
The match continues the fierce football rivalry between the two nations at youth level. Senegal defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the group stage of the 2023 U20 AFCON and went on to win the tournament.
However, Nigeria has happy memories too. In 2015, the Flying Eagles beat Senegal 3-1 in the opening match and later defeated them 1-0 in the final to win their seventh title.
With a place at the World Cup on the line, Zubairu is hoping his team can repeat that success against Senegal and move one step closer to continental glory.
