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The two hot favourites will meet at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, with the winner taking one of the four slots available to Africa at the U20 World Cup, with a semi-final spot glossing over it.
Uganda Hippos coach Jackson Mayanja insists his team must be the best version of themselves if they are to make their dream of World Cup qualification a reality.
Uganda, runners-up in 2021 in Mauritania, face an acid test against record winners of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Nigeria in a blockbuster quarter-final clash on Thursday.
The two hot favourites will meet at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, with the winner taking one of the four slots available to Africa at the U20 World Cup glossing over a semi-final spot.
Mayanja has not shied away from his ambition of guiding the Hippos to the World Cup since he took over the team in October 2022, and with the team now at least 90 minutes away from achieving that, he insists only they can decide their fate.
“We're very prepared as a team,” Mayanja said during the pre-match press conference.
“This is the most important time for my team to make sure we achieve our goal and all the players are in good condition they're very fine.”
"I have always said it and I will say it again here. What I want to achieve with this team is to qualify for the World Cup."
The Hippos progressed from Group B without much hubbub, building on their opening-day victory over the Central African Republic with draws against Congo and South Sudan in a dead rubber.
Only a draw of lots after Uganda tied with Congo decided the fate of the group leader who would face Nigeria who finished second in Group A.
“I don’t think I need to know quite a lot about Nigeria or Nigerians and how good their players are,” Mayanja explained.
“It doesn’t matter if you study the players’ feet size and admire their size or that sort of thing. What matter is how you prepare yourselves for the game, and how you apply the tactics.”
“So, the onus is on us to bring out our best game, and be on top tactically. Nigeria is a good team, they have good players, but we know why we are in this tournament.
“The goal we have been chasing can only be achieved tomorrow. So, we need to bring the fight on the pitch and may be the best team to win.”
“It's going to be a very hard game. As I said, the achievement we need is tomorrow, that's what we want to achieve. I don't want to talk about Nigeria. The game is to be played on the pitch tomorrow,” the Cranes legend declared.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles head coach Ladan Bosso is also backing his side to have enough to secure qualification for the U20 FIFA World Cup but says the Uganda Hippos should not be taken lightly.
With a second-place finish in Group A, behind Senegal, the team is confident following their back-to-back wins in the group stage.
The Flying Eagles are the tournament’s record winners but are returning to this stage of the competition after failing to make the last edition in Mauritania.
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