Nigeria U20 head coach Aliyu Zubair admits the Flying Eagles had to make last-minute adjustments ahead of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U20 Championship, but insists the team is ready to face Ghana in Thursday’s opener in Prampram.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Zubair explained that the squad only reconvened a week ago. “We’re ready, but it’s really not the competition we are here for,” he said. “We had to quickly reorganize because of this tournament.”
Despite limited preparation time, Zubair is confident in his players’ resilience and is aware of the intensity that comes with facing Ghana. “Even if it’s community football between Nigeria and Ghana, it’s always attractive because of the clean rivalry,” he added.
Nigeria are defending champions and beat Ghana in the final of the previous edition held in Togo. Thursday’s encounter opens Group A, which also includes Benin.