Nigeria’s Under-23 Head Coach, Samson Siasia, has set his target to win gold in the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Siasia, who steered the team to runners up at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, believes it is good enough for gold in Rio in August.
“Not many people gave us a chance going to the African finals in Senegal. We love it that way because so much focus was on the other teams and we were able to concentrate on devising our own strategies.
“The last time I took the U-23 team to the Olympics, we won silver. This time, we will aim for gold,” he disclosed.
The players left the country last Monday for the final preparation with the Suwon Invitational Tournament in Korea, which ends tomorrow, Monday, June 6.
After the tournament in Korea, the team will train in Manchester, United Kingdom before heading to Atlanta, United States from where it will travel to Rio.
Atlanta was the setting for Nigeria’s triumph at the men’s football tournament of the Olympics in 1996 – a first for an African country.
Nigeria will play in Group B against Sweden, Colombia, and Japan.
Host Brazil, who lost 0-1 to Nigeria in a friendly in Brazil two months ago, heads Group A which also has South Africa, Iraq, and Denmark.
Germany, Mexico, Korea Republic, and Fiji make up Group C.
Argentina, Honduras, Algeria, and Portugal are in Group D.
Among the players picked by Siasia are Captain Azubuike Okechukwu, goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel, defenders Stanley Amuzie and Segun Oduduwa, midfielders Usman Mohammed and Stanley Dimgba, forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Saviour Godwin.
Others include Yusuf Mohammed, Sincere Seth, Ndifreke Effiong, Julius Emiloju, Erhun Obanor, Saturday Erimuya, Sodiq Popoola, Ubong Ekpai, Abdulrahman Taiwo, Nathan Oduw, and Tiongoli Tonbara.