Kaduna United technical director, Dahiru Sadi has said the present crop of Flying Eagles are not a bad side despite falling to defend the Africa Youth Championship (AYC) title in Algeria.
.
The erstwhile title holders lost 0-2 to the Junior Pharaohs of Egypt in Ain Temouchent on Tuesday in the semifinals of the biennial football fiesta in Algeria.
.
Though through to the 2013 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Turkey, the Flying Eagles will square up against the Junior Eagles of Mali in the losers' final match. Sadi said the side's challenges stemmed from the failure to convert their chances at goal and play as a team rather than as individuals.
.
"We have a good team as well as good players whose greatest undoing was not being able to convert their chances at goal.
.
"Egypt had fewer chances than Nigeria and were able to score those chances while we threw ours away.
.
"We played more of individual game compared with the Egyptians but having said that the team weren't an entirely bad side," said the former Nigerian attacking midfielder.
.
The former Flying Eagles player said the coaches of the team have their work well defined as they return from the AYC campaign to work on the defence and attack if the side will make hay at the global championship in Turkey.
.
"I may have been disappointed at the inability of the team to defend their title but the good thing is that they qualified for the World Cup. The coaches have few period to work on the lapses noted at the AYC before the start of the World Cup.
.
"Once the team's defence and attack are thoroughly touched and able to blend, play as a team as well as convert chances at goal they'll excel at the World Cup," he said.
.
Flying Eagles are most likely to play in the World Cup Group B or D as AYC losers' winners or fourth-placed team.
.
Group B has the likes of Cuba, Korea Republic, Caf second runners up and Portugal while Group D are Mexico, Greece, Paraguay and Caf fourth-placed side.
Truth be told, they didn't perform well at all. Their style of play did not appease my eyes at all. They need to improve