Zubairu Confident Flying Eagles Will Be More Clinical Against South Africa
As Nigeria prepare to face South Africa in the semi-final of the 2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has assured fans that the team has been working hard to fix their goal-scoring problems.
The crucial tie will be played on Thursday at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Egypt, with kick-off set for 6:00 PM local time (4:00 PM Nigerian time). Both Nigeria and South Africa have already qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile after reaching the last four of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the semi-final, Coach Zubairu admitted that the team had struggled to convert chances in earlier matches, but said those issues have now been addressed in training.
“We have really worked on the low scoring tally problem. Yesterday’s session was dedicated entirely to that issue,” Zubairu said.
“We trained all our attackers to sharpen their decision-making in front of goal. I believe we are going to see positive results going forward.”
Zubairu also gave a positive update on team fitness, confirming that all players are fully fit and available for selection against South Africa.
Nigeria, who have won the U-20 AFCON title seven times, will be looking to book another final appearance and edge closer to lifting their eighth continental crown.
