Nigeria U-20 coach Aliyu Zubairu has raised the war cry ahead of his side’s decisive clash with Colombia in their final group game at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
The Flying Eagles opened their campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Norway but bounced back with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Saudi Arabia. The result revived their chances of reaching the Round of 16, though Zubairu insists only a win against Colombia will guarantee progress.
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Speaking exclusively to Footy-Africa, the Elkanemi Warriors coach stressed that victory is non-negotiable.
“Our continued stay in this tournament depends on the match against Colombia, which means we just have to take the three points,” Zubairu said. “We have to stay in this competition and the boys know it. Every bit of our preparation is focused on winning this game if we truly want to continue.”
The coach confirmed that he and his staff have studied the South Americans closely.
“We have watched them, and we know both their strengths and their weaknesses. Since this interview is being published, I won’t go into details because this interview will be published, but we are mapping out strategies to deal with both. The players are aware of what is at stake. It is three points or nothing.” he added in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa.
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Nigeria currently sit third in Group F with three points from two matches, while Colombia lead the group.
A win for the Flying Eagles will secure their place in the knockout round.
A draw could still be enough, depending on results elsewhere, but a defeat would almost certainly end their campaign.
