Nigeria U23’s head coach, Salisu Yusuf, has responded to his team’s 0-0 draw against Guinea’s Junior Syli at Abuja’s Moshood Abiola Stadium.

Despite the home team’s lackluster performance, they managed to avoid conceding a goal, thanks to the visitors’ dominance.

Guinea had two excellent opportunities to score, but they were unable to convert them into goals. Nevertheless, Nigeria was dealt a blow when Christopher Nwaeze, their defender, was sent off with a second yellow card in stoppage time.

Coach Yusuf is optimistic about his team’s chances in the second leg, which will be played in Morocco in four days. He believes that with focus and a positive attitude, they can win even away from home.

“It’s going to be very tough. I believe if we are focused and we have the positive mindset to go there and win, we can win even away,” Salisu told the Press.

“The most important thing is we didn’t lose here because they had two shots on goal which were very critical. Thank God the defenders are up to it but I still believe we can still qualify for the if we work extra hard.

“I am disappointed, but it’s not the end of the world as we can correct mistakes.“

Although disappointed with the result, he remains hopeful that his team can still qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games if they work harder and address their errors.

The winner of the two-leg fixture will qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.

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