Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has reflected on his side’s defeat to South Africa in their semi-final tie at the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, Prompt News reports.
The seven-time champions fell to a 1-0 defeat against the Amajita at the Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia on Thursday.
Tylon Smith scored the winning goal in the 66th minute.
“I take full responsibility for our failure to reach the final. As head coach, the blame rests on me,” Zubairu said during his interaction with the media after the game.
Zubairu said he will overhaul the squad going into the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
“This tournament has helped us identify the players capable of stepping up to the next level and those who are not. After our WAFU B success, we dropped many players because their quality wasn’t sufficient for the continental stage,” he added.
” A similar review will happen again. It’s clear that some of the current squad members aren’t ready for the demands of a World Cup.”
