Flying Eagles Coach Thinks Team Will Improve

Nigeria U20 assistant coach Nduka Ugbade has said they have taken a lot of lessons from last week’s friendlies against Morocco U20s.


The Flying Eagles were forced draws in the two matches in Morocco, 2-2 in the first match and 1-1 in the second game.

“The matches showed we have to step up our game because this is a much higher level than U17,” Ugbade said.

“So, we have to work on the boys psychologically in this aspect as well as improve them on the pitch because of the demands of a high-performance level we have now found ourselves in.”

The Nigeria U20s resumed training in Abuja Monday morning with a full house that included five of the foreign-based call-ups.

They are skipper Musa Muhammed (Besiktas,Turkey), Keelchi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City), Musa Yahaya (Tottenham Hotspur),Chidera Eze (FC Porto, Portugal).

Nwakali later limped out of training with a right knee complaint.

Several players were excused from Monday morning’s training on account of knocks they suffered in Morocco, but which the medical staff says are not serious. The affected ones are Alhassan Ibrahim aka ‘Mu-azam’, Bernard Bulbwa and Taiwo Awoniyi.