U17 AFCON: Nduka Ugbade upbeat of World Cup qualification against Burkina Faso

Head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 national team, Nduka Ugbade has revealed that the his boys are ready for challenge in  his side’s quarterfinal clash with Burkina Faso at the ongoing U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday.

The Golden Eaglets and their officials arrived in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria on Monday, three days ahead of their quarter-final clash with Burkina Faso’s Young Etalons at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.

Speaking on the all-important West African derby, the tactician, who lead the side to a runner-up finish in Group B – behind Morocco, insists his team had not come this far to miss out on earning a World Cup ticket.

“We had an interesting match with South Africa and it has prepared us well for further challenges in the competition,” Ugbade told CAFOnline.com.

“We learnt a lot playing Zambia, Morocco and South Africa – all strong teams – in the group phase and that was good furnace for us to be a better squad.

“The quarter-final matches will be very hard nuts to crack because that is the step that earns you the World Cup ticket. None of the four games will be easy. Our interest is Burkina Faso and we are working hard towards achieving success.

“We have not come this far to drop out. My boys are focused hard on the World Cup ticket. After that, we can then focus on other objectives.”