National Teams
U20 World Cup: Aliyu Zubairu assures Flying Eagles will break Nigeria’s old records
By Dayo Awoniyi
With the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup set to kick off in Chile from September 17 to October 19, head coach of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has set a bold target for his team, insisting that they will not settle for anything less than rewriting the country’s history at the tournament.
The Flying Eagles are currently in an intensive camping program in Abuja, where technical drills, tactical sessions, and match simulations have been focused on ensuring the team is battle-ready for the global showpiece.
Coach Zubairu, who guided the team through the CAF U-20 qualifiers, declared that the group stage is only the beginning, with the ultimate goal being to surpass all of Nigeria’s past achievements at this level.
“Coming out of the group is non-negotiable,” Zubairu said in Abuja.
“We are studying our opponents closely, their strengths and individual qualities. We respect every team in our group but cannot compromise on our ambition. Our goal is to go further than Nigeria has ever gone before.”
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have long been one of Africa’s most consistent performers at youth level, but global glory has eluded them.
Twice, the team has come agonizingly close — finishing as runners-up at the 1989 U-20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they lost 2–0 to Portugal, and again in 2005 in the Netherlands, when a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina sealed victory.
Since then, Nigeria has produced generations of talented players at the U-20 level, but none have been able to match or surpass those landmark runs. Zubairu, however, believes that the current squad possesses both the quality and mentality to finally break the jinx.
The draw has placed Nigeria in Group F, alongside Colombia, Norway, and Saudi Arabia — a tricky test that will demand consistency and focus from the very first whistle.
The Flying Eagles will begin their campaign on September 29 against Norway, face Saudi Arabia on October 3, and wrap up their group stage against Colombia on October 6.
With only the top two teams guaranteed progression to the knockout phase — and the four best third-placed teams also advancing — every fixture will carry weight for Zubairu’s young squad.
As the countdown to Chile 2025 continues, Nigerian fans will be eager to see whether this group of Flying Eagles can finally soar higher than their predecessors, and deliver the long-awaited world title that has twice slipped from the nation’s grasp.
