By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 8, 2023
Nigeria’s coach Nduka Ugbade said he was relieved to see his side come off the right side of a 3-2 thriller against South Africa and qualify to the quarter finals of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Constantine on Saturday.
The Golden Eaglets returning to winning ways after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the second game of the tournament.
With a quarter-final spot and a World Cup ticket at stake, Ugbade’s boys on Saturday came back from behind twice to snatch a win in a thrilling game.
The victory saw Nigeria finish second in Group B and earn an available automatic qualification slot.
Speaking in an interview with CAFOnline, the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship winner said he was relived to have qualified for the next round.
“It was a really tough match because South Africa is a really good team and they gave us a tough time. They have three players that are really good; Mabena (Siyabonga), Mkhawana (Vicky) and Dokunmu (Michael). They are very talented players and I was honestly scared of them at first,” Ugbade said.
He was delighted to see his side finally firing well to score three goals, having struggled to find the back of the net in their first two games despite creating so many chances.
“We worked a bit in training and we did some corrections. We realized that it was purely psychological and we talked to the players and we saw an improvement today. We might have conceded two but I am glad we scored three,” said the tactician.
Source Punch Ng
Posted May 8, 2023
You may also like...
Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte odds, predictions, betting...
Roma Blame €204m Loss On coronavirus
Scandal Rocks NWSL, Leads To Halted Matches
Weah Named Africa’s Best Ever Player Jay-Jay Okocha...
Unbeaten Sarri sets Premier League record
Portugal hammer Algeria in pre-World Cup friendly

“Semi-final no go easy” - Oshoala sparks fear over what Morocco could try against Nigeria
Osimhen has been warned - Nigerian lawmaker applauds Super Eagles striker after showing team spirit
AFCON 2025: Super Eagles suffocate Algeria, strike fear into Moroccan hearts ahead of blockbuster semi
Osimhen Reveals Main Quality That Earned Super Eagles 2-0 Win Over Algeria In AFCON Quarter Final
BREAKING: Super Eagles Vs Morocco As AFCON 2025 Semi-Final Fixtures, Date, Time And Venue Revealed
Relentless Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up AFCON semifinal with Morocco
CAF appoints new ref for Nigeria, Algeria clash
Falconets step up preparation for Senegal clash
AFCON 2025: Super Eagles’ attack faces Algeria’s strong defence in quarterfinal clash
Eagles renew rivalry with Warriors in blockbuster clash
Solskjaer set for face-to-face talks with Man Utd chiefs
AFCON 2025: We’re Not Focusing Only On Osimhen And Lookman –Algeria Midfielder, Zerrouki
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,455 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (54,744 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,645 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,312 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,241 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,154 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,011 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,573 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,754 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,282 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,670 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,141 views)