NIGERIA’S U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, hopes to avenge
its 0-1 loss when it meets South Africa in a 2013 African Youth
Championship (AYC) qualifier today.
Hosting a tourney in May,
South Africa stopped its Nigerian counterpart by an odd goal on its way
to finishing third at the Cape Town International Challenge, which was
won by world champion, Brazil.
While the Amajita has remained largely unchanged from that invitational tournament, only about 11 players from the 25-man Flying Eagles squad are still very much involved with the country’s U-20s.
Skipper and goalkeeper, Samuel Okani, Ikechukwu Okorie, Chizoba Amaefule, Shehu Abdullahi, Moses Orkuma and Alhaji Gero are still starters from that tournament. Central defender Amaefule and Orkuma did not kick a ball at the invitational tourney, though.
The African champions have now recalled forwards Bright Ejike, Chidi Osuchukwu as well as the exciting playmaker Abduljaleel Ajagun, all players who featured in the 2011 AYC, which was hosted by South Africa and won by Nigeria.
The South Africa youth team, on the other hand, will continue to insist on the Supersport mercurial forward, Snethemba Ngidi, striker Thabani Mthembu and skipper Mbongeni Gumede.
Ngidi is a genuine top performer, who makes up for his lack of inches with his speed, vision and creativity going forward. If he plays, South Africa will play.
The Amajita has proved to be a very decent team and its confidence going into this massive decider must have been boosted by wins over Botswana in warm-up matches, where it netted eight goals and kept a clean sheet in both games.
It plays a quick attacking game, creating a rash of chances but could do a lot better with its finishing. The Flying Eagles prepared for this clash by playing out a 1-1 draw with next-door neighbour, Benin Republic, which will host Senegal in its own AYC qualifier on Sunday.
It was a match in which the Nigerians showed character, self-belief and strength in depth, as coach John Obuh threw in seven substitutes at the game played at the Rene Pleven Stadium in Cotonou. He declared: “We hope to improve on our game in Benin and win in South Africa.”
Nigeria dumped the Ngorogoro Heroes of Tanzania 4-1 on aggregate after it won its first leg in Dar Es Salaam 2-1. South Africa scrapped through on the away goals rule by beating a useful Congo team 1-0 at home after it lost its first leg 1-2 in Brazzaville.
The Amajita is committed to creating a big upset by eliminating six-time African champion, Nigeria, and so has moved this encounter from Port Elizabeth to “lucky ground” of the magnificent Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, where it thrashed Botswana 4-0 last week.
The hilly Northeastern city is football mad and after successfully hosting the historic 2010 World Cup, it will again welcome some of Africa’s best teams to the 2013 Nations Cup from January.
Guardian
Hosting a tourney in May,
South Africa stopped its Nigerian counterpart by an odd goal on its way
to finishing third at the Cape Town International Challenge, which was
won by world champion, Brazil.While the Amajita has remained largely unchanged from that invitational tournament, only about 11 players from the 25-man Flying Eagles squad are still very much involved with the country’s U-20s.
Skipper and goalkeeper, Samuel Okani, Ikechukwu Okorie, Chizoba Amaefule, Shehu Abdullahi, Moses Orkuma and Alhaji Gero are still starters from that tournament. Central defender Amaefule and Orkuma did not kick a ball at the invitational tourney, though.
The African champions have now recalled forwards Bright Ejike, Chidi Osuchukwu as well as the exciting playmaker Abduljaleel Ajagun, all players who featured in the 2011 AYC, which was hosted by South Africa and won by Nigeria.
The South Africa youth team, on the other hand, will continue to insist on the Supersport mercurial forward, Snethemba Ngidi, striker Thabani Mthembu and skipper Mbongeni Gumede.
Ngidi is a genuine top performer, who makes up for his lack of inches with his speed, vision and creativity going forward. If he plays, South Africa will play.
The Amajita has proved to be a very decent team and its confidence going into this massive decider must have been boosted by wins over Botswana in warm-up matches, where it netted eight goals and kept a clean sheet in both games.
It plays a quick attacking game, creating a rash of chances but could do a lot better with its finishing. The Flying Eagles prepared for this clash by playing out a 1-1 draw with next-door neighbour, Benin Republic, which will host Senegal in its own AYC qualifier on Sunday.
It was a match in which the Nigerians showed character, self-belief and strength in depth, as coach John Obuh threw in seven substitutes at the game played at the Rene Pleven Stadium in Cotonou. He declared: “We hope to improve on our game in Benin and win in South Africa.”
Nigeria dumped the Ngorogoro Heroes of Tanzania 4-1 on aggregate after it won its first leg in Dar Es Salaam 2-1. South Africa scrapped through on the away goals rule by beating a useful Congo team 1-0 at home after it lost its first leg 1-2 in Brazzaville.
The Amajita is committed to creating a big upset by eliminating six-time African champion, Nigeria, and so has moved this encounter from Port Elizabeth to “lucky ground” of the magnificent Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, where it thrashed Botswana 4-0 last week.
The hilly Northeastern city is football mad and after successfully hosting the historic 2010 World Cup, it will again welcome some of Africa’s best teams to the 2013 Nations Cup from January.
Guardian
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