Nigeria, May 20 -- Despite securing a third-place finish at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt, Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has pinpointed poor finishing as the most significant reason Nigeria fell short of lifting the trophy.

The seven-time champions were hoping to clinch an eighth U-20 AFCON title, but had to settle for bronze after edging out hosts Egypt 4-1 on penalties in the third-place playoff. The match had ended 1-1 in regulation time.

While Nigeria had already booked their spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, Coach Zubairu said the team was determined to end the tournament on a high and gave a frank assessment of their overall display.

During his last post-match press conference in Egypt, Zub...