Nigeria coach Aliyu Zubairu eyes victory over Kenya after Morocco stalemate

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria’s U20 men head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, says his team has shifted focus to their decisive group stage clash against Kenya following a goalless draw with Morocco on Sunday.

Zubairu admitted that while the team had hoped to secure maximum points against Morocco, the draw keeps their qualification hopes alive.

“Our intention was to go for the three points, but we couldn’t get them. One point is still good,” he said.

“We’ll now concentrate on the last match against Kenya and make sure we get the three points.”

Reflecting on the tactical approach used against Morocco, Zubairu explained that the strategy was tailored to neutralize the North Africans’ threat from wide areas.

“We watched their match against Kenya and realized their strength lies on the flanks. We focused on denying them space from both sides, and we succeeded,” he added.

With Nigeria and Morocco level on four points in Group B, Wednesday’s match against Kenya is crucial for the Flying Eagles’ progression. Kenya, meanwhile, are yet to register a win in the tournament.

“We’ve studied their games and we know what to expect,” Zubairu said. “We’ll approach the match with positivity and won’t underrate them. Our top priority is to secure the maximum points.”

Nigeria face Kenya on Wednesday, while Morocco take on Tunisia in the other final group fixture.