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Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has praised his players’ resilience and discipline after Nigeria battled to a 1-1 draw with Colombia to book their place in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, Footynaija.com reports.
Speaking after the tense encounter at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca, Zubairu said he was proud of how his team handled a physically demanding contest.
“It wasn’t easy but we stood our ground and were proactive,” Zubairu said.
“We knew they are physically strong and good on the ball so we tried to deny them passing lanes and that gave us a little edge. All we wanted was to qualify for the next round and we are not worried about who we have to face.”
Nigeria had to recover from a second-half setback after Kener González fired Colombia ahead in the 51st minute.
But once again, captain Daniel Bameyi stepped up when it mattered most, converting an 86th-minute penalty after a VAR review confirmed a handball in the box.
The result secured Nigeria’s place among the four best third-placed teams, earning them a last-16 clash against Argentina – a familiar foe they famously defeated 2-0 in the 2023 edition.
With qualification assured, Zubairu says the focus now turns to maintaining the team’s momentum and confidence heading into the knockout rounds.
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” he added, “and we’ll be ready for whoever comes next.”
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