Reacting to the U17 African Cup of Nations draw, Golden Eaglets gaffer Nduka Ugbade, has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to excel in the competition.
Nigeria was drawn in group B against Morocco, South Africa and Zambia. The team will have to navigate its way to the semi-finals, to pick up one of four available tickets to the U17 World Cup in Peru, later this year.
Reacting to the draw, Ugbade said that the Golden Eaglets will grab the tournament by the scruff of the neck and do all they can to get through the first round.
“Morocco is a team that I know very well and considering what they just did at the World Cup, I think their U-17 side will be motivated to do the same. And South Africa has exploded in terms of football and that is supposed to get us worried a bit just as Zambia is always known for good football as well,” Ugbade said.
“I believe they will have enough speed, strength, endurance and power to compete but knowing that we have won the World Cup five times, and that we are favourites for the competition, we are not looking at our group alone.
“So, we have to win our first two games and look to establish some authority in the knockouts. And we know winning the quarter-final sends us to the World Cup.
“We will not be participating, we will be competing and in our competition, we will join the contenders because we are already a nation that is known to have won the tournament,” he concluded.
