Head Coach of the Golden Eaglets has promised that the team will bounce back from its disappointing loss to Morocco by beating South Africa.

Nigeria’s U-17 football team suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat in their match on Wednesday, despite dominating possession and attempting 27 shots, only four of which were on target.

The team’s coach, Nduka Ugbade, has vowed that they will work hard to bounce back in future matches at the 2023 African U-17 Cup of Nations.

“We must be more efficient with the chances we have,” Ugbade said after the match. “We will try to look for some different ways tactically to impact the outcome of the game. We have a chance, but also, that chance can fade away. We have to work hard. It does happen in football. It is not a strange thing, but it is important to correct and ensure we are more efficient in front of goal.”

Despite the loss, Nigeria still has a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. Their next group game is against South Africa, who are currently in third place. Ugbade has assured that the team will be more efficient with the chances they create in this game.

“Nigeria is a big team and we have a lot of talent,” Ugbade said. “We have a chance to make it to the next round, but we have to work hard and play well in our next game. We have to be more efficient in front of goal and take our chances.”

If Nigeria defeats South Africa, they will guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals. However, if they lose, they could still qualify as one of the two best losers if Zambia defeats Morocco by a large margin. The quarterfinals will determine which four teams will represent Africa at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

“We are not giving up,” Ugbade said. “We will fight until the end. We have a good team and we will do our best to make it to the next round.”

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