FIFA World Cup watch: Zubairu vows to rip up Flying Eagles attack after goal-shy U20 AFCON campaign

Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has vowed to make sweeping changes to his squad’s attacking line-up following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Soccernet.ng reports.

Despite creating numerous chances across their six matches, the Flying Eagles found the net only four times.

This has raised serious concern from Zubairu, who now plans to overhaul the forward line ahead of upcoming tournaments, including the WAFU B Championship and the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

“We are going to sit and evaluate our performance there and evaluate the players individually to know who are those players that cannot continue the journey,” Zubairu said upon the team’s return to Abuja.

“And we will immediately start looking for those who we are going to invite for replacement. Because definitely we know there are a lot of deficiencies in the team, particularly in the area of attack.”

Zubairu confirmed that the technical crew will embark on a detailed review of each player’s contribution in Egypt and begin scouting for fresh talent — especially strikers with a clinical edge.

“And we are going to overhaul the whole department as well. And like you know, maybe you have heard that WAFU tournament is coming up,” he added.

With the regional WAFU B tournament on the horizon, Zubairu sees the competition as a key testing ground for potential new recruits.

“Now that our president is even the president of WAFU, we want to honor that competition,” he noted.

“So I think that is going to be a competition where we are going to even test those who we are going to invite for us to know their level. To know those who can fit into the replacement.

“Definitely, particularly those that are coming in new, that is going to be the competition we use to test them.

“To know whether they have the ability to cope. As you can see, most of the players that went to this Nations Cup, some showed a lot of quality before we go there.

“On getting there, we realized that some cannot really fit into what we are looking for. 

“So this WAFU tournament is going to serve as a yardstick to measure the level of those that will be coming in.”

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FIFA World Cup watch: Zubairu vows to rip up Flying Eagles attack after goal-shy U20 AFCON campaign

The Flying Eagles claimed bronze in Egypt after a dramatic 4-1 penalty shootout win over hosts Egypt, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Crucially, the team also secured qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where they will represent Africa alongside Egypt, Morocco, and first-time champions South Africa.

The squad touched down in Abuja on Tuesday, flying from Cairo following a hard-fought campaign that included spirited performances but fell short of reaching the final. The team will now enjoy a brief break before resuming preparations for the global showpiece in Chile this September.

Nigeria, seven-time African champions at youth level, will hope to finally clinch their first-ever FIFA U-20 World Cup title.