Ugbade declares Flying Eagles’ readiness for AYC

ASSISTANT coach of the junior national team, the Flying Eagles, Nduka Ugbade, believes the team’s technical crew has given the squad enough training and preparation that would take them into the African Youth Championship (AYC) as major contenders.

  Still basking in the euphoria of the team’s excellent performance at the just concluded Super Six Invitational Tournament in Abuja, Ugbade boasts that the team will not go to Senegal just to compete, but to fight as contenders for the trophy.

  The former Golden Eaglets captain said the Flying Eagles, who defeated all the premier league clubs at the tournament before pulling a draw with the national U-23 team to win the invitational tournament, are mentally prepared for the task ahead.

  According to him, the team is about 70 per cent prepared for the AYC, a situation that, he said, will be good enough for them to be in contention for the trophy, as well as qualify for this year’s World Youth Championship (WYC).

  “A lot of football education will be given to these lads and you know that it is the level of education that you have that will help you to excel in whatever you do. So, the Chief Coach is determined to ensure that the team grows and develops at the same time. We have used this tournament to discover some areas where we need to work on and I am optimistic that by the time we go to Senegal, the team will be ready to take on anyone.

  “The Chief Coach is doing everything humanly possible to shape the team for the tournament and for him the team is about 40 per cent prepared and by the end of February and the first week of March, we will arrive at 70 per cent.”

  The former international assured that playing the host nation, Senegal, in the opening game would have no negative effect on the players, stressing that even the partisan home crowd would not intimidate his team.