WAFU B U-20 Championship: NFF President optimistic of victory against Cote d’Ivoire

By Tosin Omojola

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, is optimistic that the Nigerian U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, will deliver when they face the young Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire.

The defending champions face a tricky situation as they confront the young Elephants on Thursday in a must-win match.

Having lost 0-1 to Burkina Faso in their first game, and with Cote d’Ivoire beating the Burkinabes by the same margin, the Flying Eagles risk elimination if they fail to beat the Ivorians.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s decisive match, scheduled to kick off at 4:00 p.m. at the Municipal Stadium in Lome, the NFF president said:

“I am not happy about the result of the first game. We expected a win and the three points, particularly since they are in a three-team group, which can be delicate.

“However, I believe the coaches and the players will regroup and come up with a strategy to overcome the Ivorians.

“Nigerians are expecting so much from the team as defending champions, and it would be disappointing not to qualify for the U-20 AFCON, having reached the quarter-finals at the FIFA World Cup last year.”

As it stands, all three teams still have a chance to qualify for the semi-final. A 1-0 win for the Flying Eagles would leave the organizers to decide who advances, most likely through a coin toss, as all teams would have the same statistics.

However, a 2-1 win for Nigeria would see them progress alongside Burkina Faso, who would be hoping for either a stalemate or a win by either side to ensure their place in the next round.

A draw with the Ivorians would automatically eliminate the seven-time African champions from the tournament, while the young Elephants would join the Burkinabes in the semi-finals.

It is, therefore, a tall order for coach Aliyu Zubairu and his squad as they prepare to face the Ivorians on Thursday.

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