Aliyu Zubairu has assured that the Nigeria U20 squad will be even better when they take on South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the ongoing CAF U20 Cup of Nations in the city of Ismailia on Thursday evening. Pundits have praised the seven-time champions for dominating the tough quarter-final encounter against Senegal at the same venue on Monday, before sending the Cup holders out of the tournament after a 3-1 penalty shootout win. “I believe we are going to have a great semi-final against the South Africans. I can guarantee that our approach will be much better, as the anxiety of whether or not we will earn a FIFA World Cup ticket is no longer there. It was a tense 120 minutes for us and the defending champions on Monday. “We have the World Cup ticket now and are quite happy. Against South Africa, we will play with great determination and composure, as we aim for the trophy, but without the tense atmosphere around the last match. Of course, we know the little matter of the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa and what the game means, and we will go in there to do a real battle,” Head Coach Zubairu said on Tuesday. The man who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to win last year’s President Federation Cup competition believes his team has improved considerably since the first match against Tunisia on the first day of May.

“We can all see that the team has improved and actually getting better with each match. We will go all out against the South Africans.” Apart from their seven titles, Nigeria have also finished as runners-up on two occasions (1999 and 2007), and as bronze medallists on two other occasions as well (2009 and 2013). To set up a clash with the most-decorated team in the competition’s history, the Amajita had to also endure a 120-minute affray against the Democratic Republic of Congo, also at the same Suez Canal Authority Stadium where the Flying Eagles upended Senegal’s expectations. They won their own game 1-0 after extra time. Nigeria had collected four of her seven titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) before South Africa (isolated for decades) was assimilated back into global sport following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. Amajita’s first experience of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations was in 1997, and they finished as runners-up to hosts and winners Morocco. Nigeria did not qualify for the finals. Four years later, in Ethiopia, both Nigeria and South Africa finished bottom of their pool and exited at the group stage in what remains Nigeria’s worst outing ever in the history of the tournament. In 2009, Nigeria defeated South Africa 2-1 for bronze, and four years later defeated Mali by the same margin to also pick up the bronze medals in Algeria. As hosts in 2011, the Amajita crashed out at the group stage after winning one and losing two matches, while Nigeria roared to her sixth title with a 3-2 defeat of Cameroon in the final in Soweto. In 2015, Nigeria grabbed her seventh title in Senegal, while South Africa’s campaign ran into the sands in the group stage after losses to Ghana and Mali. Eight years ago, Nigeria didn’t qualify for the competition when South Africa finished in fourth place. In 2019, in Niger Republic, Nigeria defeated South Africa 5-3 after penalty shootout to win the bronze medals, after both teams had tied scoreless in a group phase encounter. In the second semi-final on Thursday, hosts and four-time winners Egypt – conquerors of 1999 world champions Ghana -will take on Morocco in Cairo.

 

It is a date with another set of Lion Cubs on Monday afternoon and Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu has assured that Nigeria’s U20 boys are focused and determined to achieve a win that will guarantee them a place at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals.

 

Unbeaten in their group B campaign, the Flying Eagles however finished second behind another set of Lion Cubs from Morocco and had to proceed to Ismailia for their game against title-holders Senegal. Senegal also finished second in their group C, which also included Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Central African Republic.

 

The 19-team finals have been whittled down to eight contenders, with Tanzania and Zambia eliminated in group A, Tunisia (despite their three points) and Kenya thrown out from group B and Central African Republic stopped in group C.

 

On Saturday, General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi called on the seven-time champions to play differently when they confront the Cup holders on Monday afternoon.

 

“I have no doubt that you have the ability to rise to the occasion. Monday is the occasion, because you are not only playing against the defending champions, you also must win to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The first objective for any team in any competition that is a qualifier for a bigger tournament is to qualify, followed by the second objective of winning the trophy.

 

“The NFF and the Nigeria football fraternity are fully behind you and giving you the maximum support, and you have to repay their encouragement and prayers with a World Cup ticket on Monday.”

 

Two years ago, the Lion Cubs from Senegal pipped the Flying Eagles 1-0 in the two teams’ first match of the CAF U20 Championship at the Cairo International Stadium, on the way to the Cubs’ first triumph in the competition, after they defeated Gambia 2-0 in the final. Nigeria finished third in the same competition.

 

However, Nigeria know they cannot afford to pull any punches on Monday as only the semi-finalists will qualify to fly Africa’s flag at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later in the year. The Flying Eagles came within a nodding distance of the semi-finals at the last FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina, two years ago.

 

Nigeria converted Senegal to a happy hunting-ground ten years ago, beating the host nation 3-1 in the opening match of the CAF U20 Championship and then securing a 1-0 win over the Lion Cubs in the final to pick their seventh continental title. In December of the same year, Nigeria’s U23 team won the Africa U23 Cup of Nations in Senegal to qualify to represent Africa at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

 

Senegal will also flaunt their 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in the Round of 16 of the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Poland six years ago.

 

On Monday, at the Suez Canal Stadium, Nigeria must show strength, skills and invention against a Senegalese side that has the ability to turn the table against the opposition when least expected.

 

“We know what to expect. It is a big match for both teams because the winner will be going to the World Cup. It is like a final match, and if you throw in the matter of the rivalry between our two countries, it means we must be disciplined and determined for the entire duration of the game. We will do just that,” Coach Zubairu said as the team had its first official training in Ismailia on Saturday.

 

While the rearguard has shown some solidity in the campaign – except for the moment of loss of concentration that allowed Kenya’s second goal on Wednesday – much will be expected of Nigerian striker Kparobo Arierhi, who has scored only one goal here thus far.

 

Arierhi was venerated as the man to determine the length of Nigeria’s stay in Egypt, after his three goals at the WAFU B U20 Championship in Lome and a pre-tournament strike against the Young Pharaohs of Egypt. But the equalizer that brought parity at the first instance against Kenya has been the only time he attained the scoresheet in three games.

 

Captain Bameyi, who scored his first competitive goal for the team from the spot against the Rising Stars, will be expected to keep things tight at the back with Odinaka Okoro, Chigozie Ihejiofor and Adamu Maigari also providing cover for goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.

 

Zubairu must decide whether to start Divine Oliseh in midfield, alongside Clinton Jephta and Israel Ayuma, or retain Simon Cletus, while Arierhi, Auwal Ibrahim (whose lone goal earned the crucial three points against Tunisia), Ezekiel Kpangu, Precious Benjamin and Mendos Rickson are also available for spaces at the fore.

Nigeria reached the quarter finals of the ongoing CAF U20 Championship in Egypt despite having to force Kenya’s Rising Stars to a 2-2 draw in the last match of group B on Wednesday.

 

In the event, the Flying Eagles finished second on the table with five points, two behind group leaders Morocco who drilled Tunisia 3-1 in the other match of the pool and will remain in Cairo for the quarter finals, against the second-placed team in group A. Group A is made up of hosts Egypt, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Tanzania.

 

Seven-time champions Nigeria will now have to make the trip to Ismailia for their quarter-final game on Monday, against the second-placed team in group C. Group C is made up of title-holders Senegal, bitter-rivals Ghana, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Kenya’s Rising Stars made the game difficult for the Flying Eagles, as the wards of Aliyu Zubairu had to come from behind twice to salvage the encounter.

 

Kevin Wangaya put the Rising Stars ahead after only five minutes, scoring from the penalty spot after a Nigerian defender stopped the ball with his hand in the box.

 

Nigeria restored parity seven minutes later, after Kparobo Arierhi waltzed his way through the defence to place the ball firmly beyond the reach of the opposition goal tender.

 

The East Africans were back in front in the 68^th minute, as the Flying Eagles’ rearguard ball-watched a freekick from the left and allowed William to blast the ball past goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt from Lawrence’s in-swinger.

 

Five minutes later, Nigeria were level again, with captain Daniel Bameyi sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot after substitute Mendos Rickson was upended in the box.

 

The Flying Eagles’ match on Monday will be the first quarter-final, starting at 3pm Egypt time (1pm Nigeria time) in Ismailia.