U-20 AFCON: Sports Minister Commends Nigeria After Claiming Bronze
Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has commended the Flying Eagles for its third-place finish at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Egypt.
The Flying Eagles thrashed the Young Carthage Eagles of Tunisia 4-0 on Friday to clinch the bronze medal, setting a record of finishing on the podium in the competition a record 13 times.
Dare, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Toyin Ibitoye, described the bronze medal as better than nothing. The Minister charged the team to put to good use lessons learnt at the tournament as they prepare for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May.
“We were disappointed that we couldn’t play in the final or win this competition as planned but this convincing victory over Tunisia has redeemed some of the pain we felt last Monday after the game with The Gambia,” the Sports Minister said in a statement.
“A bronze medal is better than nothing. Now we have to also focus on doing a lot better at the World Cup in Indonesia in May. There is very little time left but I believe the coaches now know where their focus should be in improving the team.”
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is scheduled to hold between May 20th and June 11th in Indonesia.
NAN/Chidi Nwoke.
