Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, says Nigeria will head into the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile with confidence after using their recent friendlies to fine-tune the squad.

Speaking after his side wrapped up preparations with a 3-1 win over Australia on Tuesday, Zubairu stressed that the results were not his primary concern.

“In the two matches we played here, the results were not even the most important thing. What mattered to us was identifying our deficiencies and working on them,” he explained.

The Flying Eagles had earlier drawn 1-1 with Chile, and the coach believes both games provided the right test ahead of next week’s kickoff. He noted that the players showed resilience and adaptability, qualities he considers vital for navigating a tricky Group F.

Nigeria will face Norway in their opening match at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca on Monday, before taking on Colombia and Saudi Arabia in the remaining group fixtures. The team camped in Santiago for 12 days before moving to Talca, where they will be based for the duration of the group stage.

The biennial tournament begins on Saturday, with fans back home eager to see if Zubairu’s youthful squad can add to Nigeria’s proud reputation at the youth level.

Note that the Flying Eagles who are seven-time African champions, have reached the Under-20 World Cup final on two occasions.

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