Nigeria U20 national team head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, has spoken about his side’s readiness despite the late preparation for the U20 WAFU B Boys Tournament in Ghana, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria will face hosts Ghana on Thursday, July 10, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, in a highly anticipated tournament opener.
Speaking at the official pre-match press conference, Zubairu acknowledged that their preparation for the tournament was not ideal, as their initial focus had been on getting ready for the FIFA U20 World Cup.
“We’re ready, but it’s really not the competition we were originally preparing for,” Zubairu said.
“We reconvened just a week ago because we had initially planned to regroup ahead of the World Cup. But we had to quickly reorganize because of this tournament. However, we are ready.”
Despite the limited time, Zubair remains confident in his squad’s experience and mentality.
“We know the history between Ghana and Nigeria, it’s always intense at every level,” he noted. “Even if it’s community football, anywhere in the world, it’s always attractive because of the clean and fierce rivalry.”
On his part, skipper of the Nigerian side, Daniel Bameyi, spoke about his side’s readiness for the clash against the Black Satellites.
“For you to be the best, you must beat the best. Playing against Ghana will be a good game. All eyes will be on the game tomorrow [Thursday] and we as players are not taking it for granted at all,” the Bayelsa United defender said.
Nigeria are the defending champions of the tournament after beating Ghana in the final of the last edition in Togo.
With only three teams (including Benin) in Group A, Thursday’s opener between Ghana and Nigeria will be crucial in determining the semi-finalists. Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 GMT (16:00 Nigerian time).
