Ladan Bosso, head coach of the Flying Eagles, has defended the Nigerian youth team’s premature departure from the 2024 African Games, Soccernet.ng reports.
The U-20 squad managed only one victory, a penalty win against South Sudan, during the African Games, suffering defeats to Uganda and Senegal.
Bosso attributed the team’s early exit to late preparation, with just 13 days of camp before the tournament, highlighting it as a significant lesson for the country.
“We started preparation late, we had just 13 days to camp. This is a big lesson for us as a country,” Bosso stated.
In the past year, Bosso’s team has only clinched a bronze medal at the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. They also faced an early exit from the World Cup youth tournament after a loss to South Korea in the quarterfinals.
Facing criticism for his performance, Bosso defended himself by highlighting his track record of developing players for the Super Eagles.
“I’m a developer, and I have always developed players for the Super Eagles. After the 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup, six players progressed to the Super Eagles,” he asserted.
Following the Nigeria Football Federation’s declaration of vacancies in the coaching roles of Jose Peseiro and Nduka Ugbade in the national team, disgruntled Nigerian football fans have called for similar action in the U-20 coaching role.
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