Ahead of Nigeria’s tantalizing Round of 16 matchup with Argentina at the present FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has sent a strong message, stating his team is prepared for the battle.
The seven-time African champions, who advanced from the group stage as one of the top third-place teams, will now face an Argentine team that has won all three of their group games and is unbeaten thus far. However, Aliyu Zubairu asserts that once the whistle blows, reputation is nothing.
Shortly after Nigeria’s qualifying was confirmed, he declared, “Every game is a new challenge, and we’ll prepare with the same mentality, focus, discipline, and teamwork.” “Argentina is respected, but it’s a challenge that needs to be overcome.”
According to reports, Zubairu’s team had to work hard to advance to the knockout stage following a 1-1 draw with Colombia in their last group match.
Zubairu clarified, “It wasn’t easy, but we stood our ground and were proactive.” We attempted to block their passing routes since we knew they were athletic and skilled with the ball, and it offered us a slight advantage. We don’t care who we have to face; all we wanted was to go to the next round.
Talca demonstrated that tenacity in spades. In the first half, the Flying Eagles hit the woodwork three times, but Kener Gonzalez’s quick finish early in the second half gave them the lead. They didn’t panic, though.
Ebenezar Harcourt, a 15-year-old goalie who has already earned CHAN caps, made a series of saves to keep Nigeria in the game before captain Daniel Bameyi displayed steely nerves to score a late penalty to guarantee qualification.
Memories of the Flying Eagles knocking out the South Americans at this same stage two years ago will linger as Argentina waits in Santiago. Coach Aliyu Zubairu hopes that history will repeat itself, but he is aware that it will require exceptional circumstances.
“We’re confident going into the next game,” Zubairu declared. “We’ll keep working hard to push further in Chile, and the boys are getting stronger with every game.”
Please take note that the Flying Eagles vs. Argentina round of 16 match will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8.
