Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has expressed confidence in his team’s readiness for their group stage matches against Tunisia, Morocco, and Kenya.
Some have labelled this group as another “Group of Death”; however, Coach Zubairu remains unfazed. “I think it is high time we stop viewing some teams as bigger while others are considered smaller.”
“There are no minor opponents in Africa anymore — it all depends on your level of preparation,” he said.
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In the recent redraw for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Nigeria has been placed in Group B alongside two North African powerhouses, Tunisia and Morocco, as well as East African team Kenya.
He added, “Imagine when the first draw was done, we called it the group of death simply because we were drawn alongside Egypt, South Africa and Morocco. Now we have a new draw that consists of Tunisia, Kenya, with the same Morocco, and we have started saying another difficult group. Which country do we want to play that is not tough? All I will say is how much have we prepared is what should be the issue.”
The names are in for the Flying Eagles 24-man squad ahead of the U-20 AFCON 2025.
Send in your good regards, as the team will depart Nigeria for Egypt on Sunday with friendlies in sight before their opening match of the competition against Tunisia in Cairo on Thursday, 1st May. pic.twitter.com/CJVwvNWjlv
— The Athletic NG (@TheAthleticNG) April 17, 2025
When asked about the challenge of facing two North African teams, the coach was discreet about his strategies: “How to approach the Northern African teams is strictly for our team’s internal discussion.”
Despite the high expectations and the legacy of the U-20 national team, Zubairu stated that there is no added pressure. “There is no pressure of any kind. Our focus remains on our primary goal, which is to secure a ticket to the World Cup.”
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When pressed further about possible tactical surprises for fans to anticipate ahead of the tournament, the coach replied, “Of course there are, but I wouldn’t want to reveal too much.”
The Flying Eagles are now entering the final phase of their preparations in Egypt, where the tournament will take place from April 27 to May 18.
