A confident Nigerian team says it will not under-rate the opposition but will go with full confidence into picking all three points when it takes on Dominican Republic at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza on Sunday evening.
Head Coach Ladan Bosso, his assistants and the players were at the match venue on Friday evening for a familiarization visit ahead of Sunday’s encounter, which is their first in a pool that also includes Italy and Brazil.
“As I stated earlier, we are happy with the results from the two friendly matches we played in Buenos Aires. We won one against an Argentina club and then drew with the Colombia U20 team that’s also taking part in this tournament. Those are not bad results.
“More than anything else, what the results have done is to give us confidence that we can get the job done. Victory over Dominican Republic on Sunday will stabilise our winning mentality. It is a factor that matters in championships and that is why we are determined to win on Sunday.”
On Thursday, the seven-time African champions held their first training session in Mendoza, with Coach Bosso supervising a programme that lasted two hours. There was another session on Friday.
Italy-based youngster Victor Eletu eventually joined the squad a couple of days ago, and will strengthen the team’s engine room from where the forwards will expect the supplies to down the opposition.
Bosso will most likely opt for the squad that started the friendly against Colombia in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, with Chijioke Aniagbosos in goal, Daniel Bameyi, Solomon Agbalaka, Abel Ogwuche and Benjamin Frederick in defence, with Ibrahim Muhammad, Samson Lawal and Jude Sunday upfront. However, Emmanuel Umeh, who was among the scorers in both friendlies, could start against the Dominican Republic.
PHOTO: Flying Eagles at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas on Friday.
WAFU B U20 Women Tourney: Falconets trade tackles with Niger Republic in Kumasi
FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists, Falconets of Nigeria will be up against the U20 girls of Niger Republic in the first match of Group B of this year’s WAFU B U20 Women’s Championship in Kumasi, Ghana on Sunday.
The Nigerian girls landed in Kumasi on Thursday afternoon, and trained at the Baba Yara Stadium on Friday morning.
Coach Chris Danjuma has picked a number of the ladies who steered the squad to a last-eight finish at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Costa Rica in August last year, and included as well some members of the bronze medal-winning U17 girls from last year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India.
The Nigeria/Niger Republic clash will commence at 3pm, while the second match of the group, between Burkina Faso and Togo, will start at 6pm.
On Wednesday, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso will commence their hostilities at 3pm, before the Falconets tango with Togo from 6pm.
The group stage comes to a close on Sunday, with Nigeria up against Burkina Faso at the Paa Joe Stadium from 4pm. Togo and Niger Republic will play simultaneously at the Baba Yara Stadium.
