Optimism and confidence in the national U-20 male football team, the Flying Eagles, still have a long way to go, as the team continues to enjoy the support of soccer-loving Nigerians towards the FIFA U-20 World Cup which kicks off in New Zealand next month.
President-General of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club (NFOSSC), Rafiu Ladipo, says the team will definitely do the nation proud at the Mundial.
He said: “The team is a perfect one – a team we believe that could go to New Zealand and conquer the world; a team that has played several games and are yet to lose any – beating all comers, including the senior teams in the Super Four.
“In Germany where they (players) are preparing for the World Cup, they have been beating opponents silly. These are talents that can make us proud in New Zealand.”
Chief coach of the team, Manu Garba, also expressed confidence in the team and enjoined all Nigerians to pray for its success.
He said: “This team is the future of Nigerian football. We have only two players from the Nigeria Premier League, with the rest from academies, which is a good sign for the development of Nigerian football.
“We will be in New Zealand not to make up the number, but to prove that we are capable of emerging as champions at the end of the Mundial.
Enyimba International of Aba midfielder, Kingsley ‘Bobby’ Sokari, has declared that he and his colleagues are not scared on the array of stars named by group rivals like Brazil.
The Brazilians penultimate Friday named a star-studded squad that includes Manchester United’s Andreas Pereira and Kenedy from Fluminense, among other promising starlets; but Sokari insists that they are not scared of the team.
The Mundial holds from May 30 to June 20, 2015, and Nigeria is in Group E alongside Brazil, Korea DPR and Hungary.
The Flying Eagles will play all group matches at Stadium Taranki, New Plymouth, with first match against Brazil on Monday, June 1. The second match is on June 4 against Korea DPR before the last group match against Hungary on June 7.
The first two teams in each of the six groups move to the next stage of the Mundial alongside four best third finishers.
This is Nigeria’s 11th appearance at the Mundial, and Garba knows what it is like to compete at the highest level.
Two years ago, he was in charge of the Nigerian team that lost on penalties in the final of the African U-17 championship against Cote d’Ivoire.
Later that year, he guided the team to a better outing the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where it defeated Mexico to clinch the trophy. He has taken many of the players from that team into his U-20 side.
Nigeria has thrice thrice previously advanced to the semifinals, finishing runners-up in 1989 and 2005 and third in 1985.
The Flying Eagles failed just twice in its 10 previous appearances to qualify from the group stage (1983 and 1987).
