By Amaechi Agbo

Golden Eaglets Coach, Nduka Ugbade has stated that their opponents in tomorrow’s U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON Group B match, Zambia, will have to contend with the offensive pressure of his lads when they file out at the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium, Constantine.

Speaking in a television programme monitored by our correspondent on Saturday, the gaffer said that although Zambia is a great nation and he respects them but added that the lads will fight and be relentless

“I respect them. Zambia is a very great nation but you have to contend with our offensive and defensive pressure, then the balance within. You have to contend with the psychological behaviour of our players.

“This is the only way out. Like I said before, we can lose. There is no guarantee that any team that is playing against each other will win, but there is one thing that we can guarantee, we will fight for 90 minutes and beyond. We will be relentless.

“There is possibility that we can lose as well but that fear is always not negative, it is positive in our hearts. We respect every team that are in the competition but we are ready to fight to the bitter end,” he said.

On the mood of the players ahead of their opening game, the coach said they are daring to go.

“Honestly speaking, I can’t tell from the hearts of the youths. The only thing I can tell is the science of the youths and I don’t know what they are thinking but all the time.

What I hear, for the past two weeks, is ‘nobody, not even a nation.’ I hear this from the boys all the time and I have asked ‘what is the meaning?’ and they said, ‘no one can hold them down. That they will pressure until something is done,’ this is it.”