Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu has revealed that Argentina’s 2022 World Cup journey served as a key inspiration for his team on their path to winning the WAFU B Championship.
Guiding the Flying Eagles to a successful WAFU B title defence, Coach Zubairu admitted it was a challenging start.
Nigeria U20 MNT head coach, Aliyu Zubairu and a player during the presser at the WAFU B U20 Championship. Photo | X
The team stumbled in their opening match, losing to Burkina Faso, which left them in a precarious position, needing a must-win victory in their last group-stage game to secure a semifinal spot.
Flying Eagles players celebrate after scoring. Photo | X
They rose to the challenge, winning the game and advancing through the tournament.
Speaking with Brila.net, Coach Zubairu explained how the team found motivation after the initial setback by looking at Argentina’s path to World Cup glory.
Lionel Scaloni, Head Coach of Argentina celebrates with his team. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
In the 2022 World Cup, Argentina suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia but bounced back to win the tournament, defeating France in the final.
The El-Kanemi coach shared how he rallied his players after the loss to Burkina Faso, drawing parallels with Argentina’s journey: “After the match I had to speak with the boy, talked to them and told them it is like that sometimes.
“Look at what happened at the last World Cup, Argentina lost to saudi Arabia of all counties and they never gave up, they keep concentrating and won the world cup.
“They were motivated and said coach if they did it we can do it and exactly we did it.”
Nigeria U20 MNT in training during the WAFU B U20 Championship. Photo | X
The players took his words to heart, responding with a promise to emulate Argentina’s resilience and ultimately lifting the WAFU B Championship trophy.
Along with their championship win, the Flying Eagles also earned a ticket to next year’s U-20 AFCON, which will serve as a qualifying tournament for the U-20 World Cup.
