From Shola Baraye, lorin
The Nigeria National Flying Eagles Coach, Aliyu Zubairu has stressed the importance of early training towards securing a place for the country in the next edition of the 2026 World cup
Coach Zubairu explained that that his team is still developing, evolving and lacks permanent formations , pointing out that efforts would be intensified to built a formidable team for the Nigeria National team
Zubair made this known during an interactive session with the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Kwara State Chapter on Monday in Ilorin
He noted that the recent victory in the WAFU B championship in Togo are critical areas needing improvement which had secured Nigeria’s Flying Eagles a place in the AFCON, which also determined the continent’s representatives for the FIFA Under 21 World Cup in Chile.
“I’m somewhat dissatisfied with our defense; we were conceding goals consistently. This vulnerability cannot be overlooked on a larger stage,” he stated.
According to him,”I had just 37 days from my appointment to the WAFU B tournament, and we retain only three players from the previous squad, necessitating the recruitment of new talents,” he explained.
He also acknowledged the interest from eligible players outside Nigeria, stressing that we could not hinder their participation and are committed to selecting those with the necessary skills, but the challenges faced prior to the championship were limited time for thorough scouting.
The Technical Adviser of the El -Kanemi warrior football club of Bornu state remarked that Nigeria stands a better chance of producing international players by catching or selecting the players at ages 15–16s.
