Zubairu Talks Tough Ahead Of Flying Eagles’ Round Of 16 Clash With Argentina

Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, has sounded a confident note ahead of Nigeria’s mouth-watering Round of 16 clash with Argentina at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, insisting his boys are ready for the fight.

After squeezing through the group stage as one of the best third-placed teams, the seven-time African champions will now take on an Argentine side that has been flawless so far, winning all three of their group matches. But Aliyu Zubairu says reputation counts for nothing once the whistle blows.

“Every game is a new challenge, and we’ll prepare with the same mentality, focus, discipline, and teamwork,” he said shortly after Nigeria’s qualification was confirmed. “We respect Argentina, but it’s a challenge that must be overcome.”

Naija News reports that Zubairu’s team had to grind their way into the knockout round after a 1-1 draw with Colombia in their final group game.

“It wasn’t easy, but we stood our ground and were proactive,” Zubairu explained. “We knew they were physically strong and good on the ball, so we tried to deny them passing lanes, and that gave us a little edge. All we wanted was to qualify for the next round, and we are not worried about who we have to face.”

That resilience was on full display in Talca. The Flying Eagles struck the woodwork three times in the first half but were pegged back early in the second through Kener Gonzalez’s sharp finish. Yet they refused to panic.

Young goalkeeper Ebenezar Harcourt, just 15 years old and already capped at CHAN level, produced a string of saves that kept Nigeria in the contest before captain Daniel Bameyi showed nerves of steel to slot home a late penalty that sealed qualification.

As Argentina awaits in Santiago, memories of two years ago will linger, when the Flying Eagles knocked the South Americans out at this same stage. Coach Aliyu Zubairu is hoping history can repeat itself, but he knows it will take something special to do it again.

“We’re going into the next game with confidence,” Zubairu said. “The boys are growing stronger with each match, and we’ll keep working hard to push further in Chile.”

Note that the round of 16 clash between the Flying Eagles and Argentina will kick off at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 8.