The Flying Eagles will be striving for victory against Saudi Arabia on Matchday 2 of the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Chile, following a disappointing loss to Norway in their first group match on Monday.
Despite dominating the game and creating several opportunities, the seven-time African champions were unlucky not to have equalised in the second half and potentially claimed all three points. On two occasions, their appeals for penalty decisions were turned down by the referee.
A win against Saudi Arabia will place the two-time World Cup runners-up in a strong position to qualify for the championship’s Round of 16, ahead of their clash with Colombia on Sunday.
Head Coach Aliyu Zubair is optimistic that his players have moved on from the defeat against Norway, as their focus shifts towards the match with Saudi Arabia to secure the desired result. With all key players available, Coach Zubair may maintain his usual 4-3-3 formation, placing greater emphasis on attacking play and ball possession.
Israel Ayuma, Daniel Daga, and Charles Agada have all received bookings and will need to play cautiously to avoid missing the final group match against the Colombians.
