Nigeria coach Nduka Ugbade reacts to tricky 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations draw

By Saheed Afolabi

Head coach of Nigeria U17 team, Nduka Ugbade has described the opposing teams in Group B as tough opponents but is upbeat his team can replicate their WAFU-B success at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria.

The two-time Afcon winning Golden Eaglets were drawn in Group B against Morocco, South Africa and Zambia on Wednesday and will be based in the city of Constantine.

Following the draw ceremony held at the Cercle National de l’Armée in Algiers, Ugbade is confident they will do everything possible to cross the group stage hurdle while assessing his team’s chances against his opponents.

“It’s quite interesting that it is like this now why because the dye have been cast and there’s no going back,” the former MFM handler told media.

“Morocco is a team that is known for North Africa football and known to me very well and considering what they just done at the World Cup that we all in Africa are proud of. I think the U17 will be very motivated to do this as well and in recent times, they have been playing some friendly matches as well in preparation for this competition.

“The issue of South Africa football that have suddenly exploded into a very beautiful footballing nation is something that’s supposed to get us to be worried a bit and Zambia that we have always known for good footballing.

“This nations are known for high altitude and they will have enough strength, enough speed, enough endurance and power to compete but knowing that we have won the world about five times and that we are favorite for the competition as a whole, so we are not looking at our group alone in as much as the first team.

“We have to try to counter in our first match, win the first match, win the second match and most probably win the third match and qualify for the next stage of the quarter final, win that and as well go further to establish some kind of authority in the semifinal and see if we get to the final, what will happen but we know if we win the fourth match beyond the group, surely we have gotten to the semifinal, then we qualify for the World Cup.”

The Eaglets have won the U17 AFCON on two occasions and are one of the favorites to win the tournament.

To qualify, the Eaglets won the WAFU B championship, thrashing all their opponents in the competition and Ugbade is assuring that his side are not going to the U17 AFCON for jamboree but mean serious business.

“We will not be participating, we will be competing. We will join the contenders because we are already a strong nation that’s known to have won the trophy on several occasions, I don’t think that, this will be the difference,” he continued.

“Like I said to you before, if you are going to a competition like this and you did not have fear, then you are not prepared, we have fear but not that it will be cripple us. It’s the fear that will create an unbelievable performance when we face any team in the competition.”