Flying Eagles aim for World Cup ticket in quarter-final showdown with Senegal
Nigeria U20 head coach Aliyu Zubair says his side is fully focused and mentally prepared for Monday's high-stakes quarter-final clash against Senegal at the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025.
The Flying Eagles take on the defending champions in Ismailia, with the winner securing not just a place in the semi-finals but also qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
In an exclusive interview with CAFOnline.com, Zubair emphasized that his team's primary objective is to secure their World Cup slot before entertaining thoughts of winning the continental title.
'We don't want to pursue two things at the same time,' Zubair said.
'First things first, and that is getting the ticket to the World Cup. That's where all our attention is. We are gathering momentum and I believe we are in a ready stage now.'
Despite Nigeria's unbeaten run in the group stage, their campaign has drawn criticism for inconsistency—especially following their 2-2 draw against an already eliminated Kenya side. Zubair, however, remains confident.
'People were underrating Kenya, thinking they are pushovers,' he said.
'But Kenya gave a good account of themselves. We are meeting Senegal now, and we will face the match accordingly. I believe nothing is stopping us, by God's grace.'
Senegal, winners in 2023, also had a mixed group phase—drawing with the Central African Republic, losing to Ghana, and only confirming their place in the last eight with a decisive 2-0 win over DR Congo.
Zubair acknowledges Senegal's status but insists Nigeria will not be intimidated.
'We respect all opponents, including Senegal as defending champions. But Nigeria has been in that position before. This time, we are coming to be the ones to stop them and run our race into the semi-finals.'
With seven U20 AFCON titles to their name, Nigeria remains the most successful team in the competition's history. A win on Monday would move them one step closer to an eighth crown and secure a return to the global stage.
'We are very confident,' Zubair declared. 'We want to get to the semi-final—just to win the match.'
Kick-off is at 12:00 GMT on Monday at Ismailia Stadium.
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