Nigeria's head coach Nduka Ugbade has lauded his players for their effort despite suffering a single goal defeat against Morocco to slow down their march towards the quarter finals of the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Ugbade watched as his side played all the football, but couldn't find the back of the net despite having a whooping 27 shots at goal, but only four of them landed on target.

"Everything worked absolutely well. We controlled the game but tactically Morocco controlled the outcome. We had some few mistakes as well but we created so many chances, and the only problem is that we couldn't score," the former World Cup winner with Nigeria's Golden Eaglets said.

He added; "it does happen in football. It is not a strange thing, but it is important to correct and ensure we are more efficient infront of goal."

Nigeria are now faced with a must win tie against South Africa in their match of the group to affirm an automatic ticket to the quarters.

Ugbade says they will give their all.

"We must be more efficient with the chances we have. We will try to look for some different ways tactically to impact the outcome of the game. We have a chance, but also, that chance can fade away. We have to work hard," the coach noted.

Nigeria have not won the title since their last conquest in 2007, and Ugbade remains hopeful that they can put their campaign back on track as they search for a third crown.