Zambia's U17 Men's National Team coach, Ian Bakala, remains optimistic despite his team's 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in the opening TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Group B match. Bakala believes his team still has a chance of securing a quarter-final spot and was encouraged by the improved display put up by his boys against the five-time world champions. Although Nigeria clinched the maximum points with a 76th-minute goal from Favour Daniel, Bakala believes his team had opportunities to score and was pleased with their physical performance. He added that they would make tactical changes to control the mistakes they made and improve the team's readiness for their upcoming match against South Africa. Meanwhile, Nigeria coach Nduka Ugbade was also impressed with Zambia's competitiveness and commended CAF's efforts in developing African football at the youth level. In the other Group B match, South Africa lost 2-0 to Morocco. Zambia will face South Africa on Wednesday, May 3, while Nigeria will take on the North Africans on the same day at the Mohamed Hamlaoui stadium. Despite the loss, Bakala's positive attitude and determination to improve his team's performance bode well for the rest of the tournament. Picture -FAZ Media