Coach Yusuf confident Olympic Eagles’ll do better against Guinea in Morocco
Coach of the U-23 national football team, Salisu Yusuf, has expressed confidence in his team ahead of the second leg of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying tie against Guinea.
Yusuf, whose team were held to a goalless draw by the U-23 Syli National of Guinea in Abuja on Wednesday, is hopeful that the reverse fixture in Morocco would be better.
The coach attributed the lustreless performance of his team to pressure that built from the first half as well as insufficient time to prepare for the game.
Speaking after the match, CSN quoted Yusuf to have said that the pressure came about when the Eagles failed to take their chance in the first half as they were much in a hurry to score that they lost focus in the process.
“I am disappointed that we didn’t win the game but all hope is not lost. We go for the second leg in Morocco full of hope and I believe we will get it right in that second leg. Football is very unpredictable, so don’t write us off,” said Yusuf
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“My boys bowed to pressure, allowing the Guineans to dominate the game in the midfield but without breaching our defense. We wanted to win the game, but self-inflicted pressure and lack of cohesion in our game cost us victory.
“We shall go for the second leg in Morocco as if we are already two goals down. We shall fight them with all our hearts. They will come out to attack us in the reverse fixture and in football anything can happen. If we had taken our two clear chances, we could have been smiling now.
“Our preparation for this game was not sufficient enough to blend the overseas-based with the home-based players well before this game. However, with a few more days of training before the second leg to prepare in Morocco, we shall try not to disappoint Nigerians,” he added.
The Olympic Eagles will face their Guinean counterparts in the second leg at Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, Morocco on Tuesday, March 28 2023 at 8pm Nigeria time
The winner over two legs will qualify for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco which will also serve as CAF qualifiers for Paris 2024 Olympic Games’ men’s football event.