U17 AFCON: Golden Eaglets coach fears tactical battle looms as Nigeria face Morocco

Golden Eaglets head coach Nduka Ugbade has expressed his fears ahead of Nigeria’s crucial Group B clash against Morocco’s Atlas Cubs at the ongoing 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

The two teams are set to face off on Wednesday, May 3rd, at the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine.

Ugbade, who was a member of the Golden Eaglets squad that won the first U-17 World Cup in 1985, admitted that he was afraid of the North African side, who lead Group B with three points and two goals following their 2-0 victory over South Africa on Match Day One.

And the veteran tactician envisions a tactical battle awaits in Constantine. 

“It is going to be a very tough match, and I must admit that I am very afraid of Morocco myself. But we are going for just three things; win, win, win,” Ugbade said ahead of the encounter.

“Morocco is a very good tactical side. I watched a bit of their match against South Africa, and I was impressed with how they played. They defend very well and are tactically disciplined and very compact. We are going to see a very big tactical battle.” 

The Golden Eaglets started their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Zambia. They will be looking to build on the positives from that game and make necessary improvements against Morocco. The team dominated the game against Zambia but failed to convert their chances into goals.

On the other hand, Morocco would be buoyed by their impressive start to the tournament and will be looking to secure a place in the last eight with a win over Nigeria.

Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Adam Hanin were on target as they secured maximum points in their opening game.

The encounter promises to be a thrilling one as both teams battle for supremacy in Group B. The winner of the match would seal their place in the competition’s quarter-finals.