By Wale Mustapha
Head coach of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has credited his team’s resolve and commitment for their 3-2 victory over Saudi Arabia in a pulsating FIFA U20 World Cup group stage encounter on Friday morning.
The win, Nigeria’s first of the tournament, came after a disappointing opening defeat to Norway and has reignited hopes of progressing from the group.
Goals from Nasiru Salihu, Amos Ochoche, and team captain Daniel Bameyi secured all three points for the West Africans at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca.
Saudi Arabia replied through Amar Al Yuhaybi and Halal Hajj, but the Nigerians held firm to seal a vital win.
Speaking after the match, Zubairu praised his players for showing the right mentality and bouncing back after the opening loss.
“The players made up their minds that they had to go all out for the three points here, and that is what motivated them,” Zubairu told FIFA.com.
“Now it’s simple: we have to go all out for the three points against Colombia. It’s as simple as that.”
The Flying Eagles will next face Colombia in a decisive group-stage clash next week as they aim to secure qualification to the knockout stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
