Flying Eagles Assistant Coach, Nduka Ugbade, has dismissed the tag of favourites placed on his team, insisting all semifinalists have a chance to win the 2015 African Youth Championship.
The Nigeria U20s battle arch rivals Ghana on Wednesday, while the following day, hosts, Senegal, take on Mali for a place in the final of the biennial U20 competition.
“No, we’re not the favourites. We’re just like the other teams who have qualified for the semifinals,” said Ugbade, who as a player has represented Nigeria at U17, U20 and full international levels.
“We’re a young side and we respect all the other teams, who have an equal chance of winning the cup.”
Ugbade admitted it would be a difficult game for the Flying Eagles against rivals Ghana.
“As a young boy growing up, I always knew that matches between Nigeria and Ghana are often very difficult for both sides,” he said.
“Ghana are a good footballing side, but we will try to find solutions against them within the 90 minutes.”