Zubairu Lists Five Reasons Behind Flying Eagles’ 4–0 Defeat to Argentina
Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, has highlighted five key reasons behind Nigeria’s 4–0 loss to Argentina in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
The defeat at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago ended Nigeria’s hopes of repeating their famous 2–0 victory over Argentina at the same stage of the 2023 edition.
Reflecting on the match, Zubairu admitted that his team lost their tactical shape early after conceding two quick goals, which destroyed their confidence and disrupted their game plan.
“I think the early goal was part of what destabilised us. We conceded very early, and the second goal came not too long after. That was what caused the instability in our approach,” he said.
The coach also criticised his players’ mental attitude, saying they failed to show the right fighting spirit expected in a knockout game.
“I think the boys did not display a positive character,” he admitted.
Zubairu further explained that the team’s lack of intensity when out of possession allowed Argentina too much space to control the game and create chances.
“When we don’t have the ball, our effort to win it back was not good enough. That gave the Argentines room to operate. Each time we lost the ball, we didn’t fight back quickly,” he added.
From his remarks, the five main issues behind the defeat were:
- Early goals conceded,
- Instability in tactical approach,
- Lack of character,
- Poor off-ball work rate, and
- Slow recovery after losing possession.
Despite the disappointing result, Zubairu took full responsibility for the loss.
“That’s football; sometimes it happens. I take the blame, not the players. When they win, they win; when they lose, I take responsibility,” he concluded.
The result means Argentina progress to the quarter-finals, while Nigeria exit the tournament.
