U17 AFCON: Five lessons Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets can learn from Algeria’s win over Somalia

Algeria started their 2023 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2-0 victory over Somalia in their opening Group A match.

As Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets prepare for their first Group B match, they can take the following lessons from Algeria’s win, reports Soccernet.ng:

Capitalize on dominance

Algeria made the most of their dominance in the opening stages, taking an early lead against Somalia.

The Golden Eaglets should aim to start their matches strongly and press home their advantage whenever presented.

Exploit defensive mistakes

Algeria’s captain, Moslem Anatouf, scored the opening goal of the game after intercepting a backpass from the Somali side.

Nigeria should aim to take advantage of any defensive errors made by their opponents to score goals.

Be clinical in front of goal

Somalia had a few chances to score but were not clinical enough in front of goal.

Nigeria should aim to be more precise and efficient in front of goal, especially against tougher opponents.

Adopt counter-attacking football

Algeria almost took a 2-0 lead to the break after a counter-attack.

While the Golden Eaglets will likely look to play possession football, they can adopt a similar approach to Algeria and use counter-attacking football to catch opponents off guard.

Stay focused

Despite Somalia’s growth in confidence and possession of the ball, they could not convert their chances into goals.

Nigeria should remain focused throughout the game and take every opportunity to score goals.

As two-time African and five-time world champions, the Golden Eaglets will start as favourites when they face Zambia at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui in Constantine on Sunday evening. The match kicks off at 5 pm (Nigerian time).