FIFA U-20 World Cup: Flying Eagles will bounce back from loss – NFF Official

Abdulrafiu Yusuf, Assistant Director (Technical), Nigeria Football Association (NFA), on Monday said the Flying Eagles were not ready to worry so much about their 2-4 loss to Brazil.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian under-20 male side lost their opening game at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand earlier on Monday.

Yusuf who spoke to NAN from New Plymouth, the team’s present base, said the Flying Eagles had put the loss behind them to focus on their remaining Group E matches.

He said the team would rather see it as a challenge to win the remaining matches.

Yusuf ‎also said the task ahead was to work on the players’ psychology for them to get over the shocking loss, win the remaining group matches and remain in the tournament.

“We don’t really know what happened exactly, but they could not just find their rhythm.

“But that is gone for now. It’s the remaining matches that are now our concern.

“We are already working on their psychology to put the loss behind them and the response has been good.

“So, they won’t brood so much over the loss. They are ready to forge ahead and I am sure that they will bounce back,’’ he said.

The NFA official added that the team’s technical crew would get back to work in earnest to correct the anomalies noticed in the match against Brazil.

“Once we have been able to raise their psyche well enough, the technical crew will get back to work immediately because there is no time for us at all.

“I am confident ‎that they will get the boys back on track,’’ Yusuf said.

NAN reports that the team will face North Korea in their second Group E match on June 4.

Both teams will be seeking to have a win to remain in the tournament as North Korea also lost their first match, 1-5 to Hungary.