Nigeria draw Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Norway in FIFA U-20 World Cup Group F

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been drawn in Group F of the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, where they will face Colombia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway.

Head coach Aliyu Zubairu has expressed optimism about the group and Nigeria’s chances at the tournament.

“My thoughts about the draw are positive. It’s very good that Nigeria is one of the countries participating in the World Cup proper,” Zubairu said following the draw.

The coach described Nigeria’s qualification as a reflection of the nation’s strong football culture, and emphasized that the priority is to compete at a high level.

He noted that lessons learned from the team’s performance at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt will guide their preparations.

“We will fortify the team in all departments before the World Cup, particularly in attack, by bringing in players who will be more clinical in front of goal,” he said.

Zubairu outlined his vision for a team built around possession, high intensity, and tactical discipline.

“We are going to prepare a team that can play with higher possession and intensity, transform possession into goals, and defend effectively,” he stated.

The Flying Eagles have twice reached the final of the U-20 World Cup, and Zubairu is confident the current squad can go one step further.

“There’s nothing like a group of death or an easy group. It’s the level of preparation that makes the difference,” he added, downplaying the difficulty of the draw.

As part of their build-up, the Flying Eagles will participate in the WAFU Invitational Tournament in Ghana this June. Zubairu called on Nigerians to support the team as they prepare to represent the nation on the global stage.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup will be held in Chile from September 27 to October 19.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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