By Alex Fredrick
Head coach of Nigeria’s U-20 men’s national team, Aliyu Zubairu, has expressed confidence in his team’s readiness to take on any opposition at the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to take place in Egypt.
The seven-time champions, known as the Flying Eagles, have been drawn into Group B alongside Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco — a group that many have described as highly competitive.
Speaking to Soccernet.ng, Zubairu dismissed the notion of “weaker teams” in African football, stressing the importance of preparation over reputation.
“I think it is high time we stop looking at some teams as bigger while others are smaller,” Zubairu said.
“There are no minor teams in Africa anymore — what matters is how well you prepare.
When the first draw paired us with Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco, people said it was a group of death. Now, in the new draw, we have Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco, and people are again calling it a difficult group.
So which team exactly do we think is easy? That’s not the focus. What really matters is how prepared we are.”
The Flying Eagles will open their campaign against Tunisia on Monday, April 28, as they look to clinch their eighth continental title and secure qualification for the next FIFA U-20 World Cup.
