Former Nigeria international Taiye Taiwo has urged the current Flying Eagles squad to have faith in their abilities and play with confidence as they prepare for the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
The competition is crucial for the team, as it represents Nigeria’s pathway to securing a spot in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Nigeria kicks off its campaign next Thursday with a pivotal Group B match against Tunisia, followed by clashes with Morocco on May 4th and Kenya on May 7th.
Ahead of these encounters, Taiwo, who was part of the Flying Eagles squad at the 2005 African Youth Championship in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where they advanced to the FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, has some words of wisdom for the players.
Taiwo emphasized that for the team to go far in the tournament, they must trust in their abilities and play their natural game, just as his squad did in 2005.
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“The most important thing is for them to believe in themselves and play their normal game,” Taiwo said during a sports programme on Lasgidi FM.
“We played for the team. We spoke to ourselves and said we should go and make ourselves happy, and make Nigeria proud too.”
Lessons from 2005: Unity, Determination, and Focus
Looking back to his own experience, Taiwo recalled how his team motivated each other ahead of the African Youth Championship and the subsequent World Cup.
The Flying Eagles squad in 2005 made it all the way to the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, where they were narrowly defeated by Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi.
Taiwo was named the third best player in the tournament behind Mikel John Obi and Lionel Messi. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Taiwo stressed that one of the key ingredients of their success was their self-belief and the unity within the team. The squad was determined to perform not for financial gain but to make a name for themselves and represent Nigeria proudly.
“We didn’t care about the monetary incentive from the NFF and other football stakeholders, we were interested in making a name for ourselves he recalled.”
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We were not afraid because we had the support of our coach, Samson Siasia. We were proud of ourselves. Samson Siasia said he was proud of us that we won, even if we lost.”
Taiwo’s advice to the current squad is simple but powerful: trust in their talent, focus on the team, and ignore distractions. With a coach like Aliyu Zubairu, who has already inspired confidence in the players, Taiwo believes that the Flying Eagles are capable of achieving great things in Egypt and beyond.
His call for the team to play for pride and joy rather than for external rewards reflects the spirit of dedication that helped the 2005 team go so far.
