March 23, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this summer are on a tightrope after their Olympic Eagles were held to a goalless draw by Guinea in the final round of the qualifiers.
However, despite failing to score in front of their home fans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, on Wednesday, Nigeria’s U23 boss, Salisu Yusuf, expressed confidence that his team still had a good chance to secure qualification for the tournament in North Africa, especially as the second leg will be played on neutral ground, the Stade Moulay Hassan, Rabat, in Morocco.
“If we are focused and have a positive mindset to go there and win, we can win, because it is football. When you do the right thing, convert your goal-scoring opportunities, you can win even away,” Yusuf said, adding that the most important thing was that Nigeria did not lose the game.
Nigeria will play Guinea again in Morocco, on Tuesday, March 28, with the winner over two legs qualifying for the 2023 U23 AFCON. However, one of Nigeria’s star players, Gift Orban, was absent from the squad due to unknown reasons.
Yusuf was asked if Orban’s absence affected his plans, and he responded, “We sent an invitation letter, but he didn’t come, so we don’t know why.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
