Zubairu: Egypt win lifts Flying Eagles’ spirit
The Head Coach of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has reacted to the 2-1 victory over their Egyptian counterparts in a friendly match played on Tuesday evening at the Cairo International Stadium.
The Flying Eagles defeated the Young Pharaohs in the game, which was part of their preparations for the upcoming U-20 AFCON tournament in Egypt.
A 10th-minute strike from Kparobo Arierhi and a penalty converted by Precious Benjamin ensured the Aliyu Zubairu-led team edged the AFCON host nation in a match played less than 48 hours after the Nigerian delegation arrived in Cairo.
Speaking about the encounter, Coach Zubairu said the game served as an evaluation opportunity for the team ahead of the tournament.
While noting that the result, although positive, doesn’t make much difference, he emphasized that it would help boost the team’s confidence psychologically.
He said, “I don’t think the result makes any difference. It’s just for evaluation. The positives we take from the game are enormous and will guide us in improving the deficiencies observed.”
The coach also noted that the players are adapting quickly to the weather conditions in Egypt as they prepare for the tournament.
Drawn in Group B of the competition, Nigeria’s first match at the AFCON will be against Tunisia on Thursday next week, followed by games against Morocco and Kenya.
