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Flying Eagles head coach Abdu Maikaba has assured fans that his side will deliver a much-improved performance when they face hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals of the WAFU B U-20 Championship.
The defending champions will take on the Young Elephants at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro on Wednesday, with a place in the final and qualification for the 2027 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations at stake.
Nigeria head into the encounter looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in their final Group B match on Sunday, a result that denied them top spot in the group.
Read Also:WAFU B U-20 Championship: Flying Eagles Eye Final Spot, U-20 AFCON Berth
The Flying Eagles face a stern test against an in-form Ivorian side that won all three of its group-stage matches without conceding a goal.
Maikaba Declares Flying Eagles Ready For Battle
Despite the challenge, Maikaba remains confident his players have learned valuable lessons from the defeat to Burkina Faso and insists they are working hard to address the shortcomings exposed in that game.
“We need to improve on our defensive approach to the game, in our last game (against Burkina Faso) we conceded two goals from similar situations, and we are not happy about that,” Maikaba said during his interaction with the media on Tuesday.
“We have taught the players on how to defend such balls. Sometimes during the course of the game they do forget, and make little mistakes which cost us the game.”
By Adeboye Amosu
