Nigeria U-20 head coach Aliyu Zubairu has admitted that the team’s biggest weakness is still their inability to finish clinically in front of goal, even though they won a bronze at the recently concluded U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-1 on penalties in the third-place playoff after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Although the team had already qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Zubairu insisted that finishing the tournament on a high note was important.
“One of our key challenges throughout the tournament has been our lack of clinical finishing,” he said.
“That problem persisted again today. From our very first match until this point, we’ve created chances but failed to convert consistently.”
He added that although the team’s performance in the buildup play had been impressive, there was a sharp decline in efficiency once the ball reached the final third.
“If you look at all our matches, you’ll see that we often start well,” Zubairu noted.
“Our transitions from defence to midfield are effective, but once we get to the final third, we become wasteful. We lack sharpness in front of goal.”
Reflecting on the bronze-medal finish, Zubairu described it as a consolation prize, admitting that it was not the team’s original target, but a welcome result nonetheless.
“We didn’t come here aiming for the bronze medal, but half a loaf is better than none,” he said.
“It was a good match overall. Although we had already qualified for the World Cup, this game still meant a lot to us. It was important to finish strong.”
