U20 AFCON: Zubairu confident of stronger performance against South Africa in Semi-Final

Nigeria’s U20 national team coach, Aliyu Zubairu, is optimistic that his side will deliver an even more impressive performance when they face South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the ongoing CAF U20 Cup of Nations in Ismailia on Thursday evening.

The Flying Eagles, seven-time champions of the competition, earned widespread praise for their dominant display in a tense quarter-final clash against defending champions Senegal on Monday. After a hard-fought match, Nigeria triumphed 3-1 in a penalty shootout at the same venue.

Speaking ahead of the semi-final, Zubairu expressed confidence in his team’s ability to perform well: “I believe we are going to have a great semi-final against the South Africans. I can assure you that our approach will be much better now that the anxiety over our qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup is no longer hanging over us. Monday was a very tense 120 minutes for both us and the defending champions.”

The coach added that now the Flying Eagles have secured their World Cup berth, they will approach the match with greater calm and determination. “We’re aiming for the trophy now, and we are fully aware of the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa. We will go into the match well-prepared for a tough contest,” Zubairu said on Tuesday.

Zubairu, who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to victory in last year’s President Federation Cup, highlighted the steady improvement of his team since their opening game against Tunisia on 1 May. He reassured supporters that the players would give their all in the clash with South Africa.

With seven titles to their name, Nigeria remain the most successful team in the history of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations. In addition to their seven triumphs, the Flying Eagles have also finished as runners-up twice and claimed bronze on two occasions.

South Africa’s Amajita, meanwhile, reached the semi-final by edging out the Democratic Republic of Congo in a gruelling 120-minute encounter, securing a 1-0 win after extra time at the same Suez Canal Authority Stadium where Nigeria defeated Senegal.

Historically, Nigeria has won four of their seven titles before South Africa’s re-entry into international sport in 1990, following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Amajita first appeared in the U20 AFCON in 1997, finishing as runners-up to hosts Morocco in a tournament Nigeria missed. In subsequent meetings, Nigeria has mostly had the upper hand, including a 2-1 bronze medal victory in 2009 and a 5-3 penalty shootout win for third place in 2019 after a goalless group stage draw.

In the second semi-final on Thursday, hosts and four-time champions Egypt will take on Morocco in Cairo after eliminating 1999 world champions Ghana.