Players and coaches of the national Under-20 team, the Flying Eagles, are battle-ready ahead of Monday, June 1, first group E match against their Brazilian counterparts in the ongoing FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Other countries in the group are Hungary and DPR Korea.
Star players, Kelechi Iheanacho and Taiwo Awoniyi, as well as the coaching crew of the team are confident of taking on the Brazilians without fear.
Iheanacho said: “We don’t fear the Brazilians. We have a good team that can do the impossibility. Bring on the Brazilians; we are ready for them.
Though the stakes are high, Awoniyi believes Brazil is no big deal. “We are equal to the task of taking on the Brazilians and coming out victorious. We know the stake is high, but we are battle-ready. We don’t fear them,” he said.
Chief Coach, Manu Garba, said: “Sincerely speaking, we know very little about our opponents; but then everyone knows the Brazilian philosophy – they play the way we want by moving the ball from the rear; they don’t kick long balls. This style is good for our own pattern of play.
“The Hungarians are from Europe, they will play a more direct game, while the Koreans are very, very fast and they like moving the ball.
“But we are a team who does not want to be diverted from the way we play and so we want the opponents to play the way we want.”
The coach is confident that team has worked very hard, hence it is ready for any team in the group.
“I respect all the teams who have qualified for this championship and that includes Brazil, who have been good at this level, but Brazil is Brazil and Nigeria is Nigeria.
“Brazil has won the Cup several times, but Nigeria has got silver twice and a bronze.
“At U-17 level, we are rated number one in the world. And half of the (players) to New Zealand are from the last U-17 team,” he added.
According to Manu, his team is united and had conquered the world at U-17 level, “and we have now been joined by other players who are more technically balanced than some of them from the U-17s. So, I believe we are ready to take on any team.
“But I also know that the first match in any tournament is the most important and so we will do all we can to pick up the maximum three points against Brazil, which will go a long way to motivate the team in subsequent matches.
“I could recall that Mexico came to last U-17 World Cup as defending champion and had not lost a match for two years. But against a Nigerian side, who did not play a test game for a month, we defeated them 6-1.
“This is not to say we will be over-confident. We are confident in ourselves to beat Brazil in our opening game. We are very ready for the World Cup.”
The Mundial started on Saturday, May 30, to end on June 20.
The Flying Eagles will play all group matches at Stadium Taranki, New Plymouth, with first match against Brazil on Monday, June 1 and second match on Thursday, June 4, against Korea DPR before the last group match against Hungary on Sunday, 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 this level and had advanced to the semifinals, finishing runners-up in 1989 and 2005 and third in 1985.
And while the Flying Eagles team failed just twice in its 10 previous appearances to escape the group stage (1983 and 1987), the Brazilians have won the championship five times.
