Nigeria’s Under 17 Boys national team have been drawn to face their Australian Counterparts in the Round Of sixteen. The Nigerians had earlier qualified at the top of group A after two back to back victories against the USA and host nation Chile. The Nigeria lads however hit a bump on the road when they fell 1-2 to Croatia in the final group game.
FIFA u17 wc 2015 offical mascot
Australia on the other hand have qualified for the last sixteen as one of the best losers the group stages of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 after finishing third in group C behind Mexico and Germany.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 round of sixteen matches will resume on Wednesday the 28th of October 2015 With Brazil taking-on New Zealand while Mexico battles Host Chile for a place in the Quarter-Finals.
Both games will be played at 1700hours local time. The Nigeria vs Australia game will come up at 20.00hours local time same time as the Korea Republic vs Belgium game.
The last set of round of sixteen matches will be Croatia go toe to toe with fellow Europeans Germany while African interest will be borne by Mali as they face Korea DPR. The two games will be played at 17:00 hours local.
The last set of games in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 round of sixteen knockout stage will pit Russia and Ecuador together just as France and Costa Rica compete for the final spot in the in the Quarter-Finals.
COQUIMBO, CHILE – OCTOBER 23: Luka Ivanusec of Croatia challenges Samuel Chukwueze of Nigeria during the FIFA U-17 World Cup Group A match between Croatia and Nigeria at Estadio Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso on October 23, 2015 in Coquimbo, Chile. (Photo by Robert Cianflone – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke has warned his wards to expect a dogfight against Chile in their second match at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 at the Sausalito Stadium in Vina del Mar on Tuesday.
The Golden Eaglets on Monday morning trained at the Enap Oil Company Training Centre in Con-Con district of the beautiful city where all the 21 players were involved to perfect strategy for the match.
“Tomorrow’s match against Chile is a crucial game and you must expect a dog fight,” hinted Amuneke. “But we must approach the match with discipline and responsibility; we must be ready to fight for 90 minutes.”
World football ruling body, FIFA has named officials for the match with Ruddy Buquet as the centre referee. The 38-year-old Frenchman has been a full international for FIFA since 2011. Others listed for the match that would be watched by a capacity crowd also
include Buquet’s compatriots Guillaume Debart and Gringore Cyril as assistant referees while the fourth official is Abdulrahman Al-Jassim of Qatar.
Meanwhile, Golden Eaglets will yet again don white jerseys against Chile as they did inSaturday’s 2-0 win against the USA. The only slight change in the team’s dressing on Tuesday would be that of the goalkeepers who will swap their yellow gear for black top, short and socks. In the same vein, host Chile would swap their white jerseys for their famous red and blue colours while their goalkeepers will dorn yellow attire.
The Group A matches at Estadio Sausalito in Vina Del Mar on Tuesday would start at 5:00pm local time (9:00pm in Nigeria) between USA and Croatia while Nigeria’s Eaglets face Chile at8:00pm local time(12:00 midnight in Nigeria).
Meanwhile, Golden Eaglets’ striker, Victor Osimhen will be available for selection against Chile on Tuesday after recovering fully from the knock that earned American Auston Trusty a red card in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago. The 1.85m striker has been involved in training sessions since the team arrived Vina del Mar on Sunday and is expected to lead the Golden Eaglets’ charge for goals against Chile.
Golden Eaglets Coach Emmanuel Amuneke
Osimhen has revealed why he went on all fours before Coach Emmanuel Amuneke after he grabbed Nigeria’s second goal in the 2-0 win against the USA. “I prostrated before Coach Amuneke because of what he actually told me before we left the dressing room for the pitch against USA; because that was the first time he said such thing to me,” said the energetic striker who scored four of the Golden Eaglets’ seven goals at the African U-17 Nations Cup in Niger Republic last February.
“Coach told me: ‘Victor, I trust you and I know you will score’ and that really touched me. So, after I scored, I did that to appreciate him for all what he has done to make me a better player.”
Osimhen has been a sensation for the Golden Eaglets after opening his goal scoring account with a brace against Ibadan –based side, SRDH Football Club on June 8, 2014; and has maintained a remarkable
consistency leading to his 42nd in all competitions against the USA in the FIFA U-17 World Chile 2015 opener.
Golden Eaglets Head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has described Saturday’s 2-0 win over the United States of America as a morale booster for the players in the quest to successfully defend the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Chukwudi Agor and Victor Osimhen gave Nigeria a winning start courtesy of two second half goals against the Americans at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015.
“The victory today against the USA was important for us and I want to congratulate the boys for making Nigerians happy,” Amuneke told thenff.com
He continued: “They (players) were tentative in the first 20 minutes and this was expected because it was the first time they were playing at a big stage such as the World Cup but it was important we won the first game since it would boost our confidence going into the next game against host Chile; so we are happy but will continue to work harder.
“Today’s victory against the USA is for Nigerians especially for many who stayed up late to watch the match,” stated the former African Footballer of the Year who refrained from praising the goal scorers against USA.”It is the job of all the players to do their respective jobs in the interest of the team. We want to play and win as a team and collectively, we want to work in order to achieve our overall objective at this tournament.”
Golden Eaglets Coach Emmanuel Amuneke
Meanwhile, midfielder Chukwudi Agor has described his goal and indeed the opening goal in Group A at Chile 2015 against the USA, as very important for his budding career. It was Agor’s second goal for the national U-17 side after he grabbed the winner in the 2-1 win over Brazil at the Suwon U-17 Tournament in September.
“I’m happy that I scored today,” said Agor, which means ‘gift from God’ in Ibo dialectic.”I’m dedicating the goal to my sister, Oluchi.”
The Golden Eaglets will, in the meantime, hit the road on Sunday for Vina del Mer where they will play host Chile at the 24,000 Capacity Estadio Sausalito on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Amuneke (MFR) was an assistant coach the last time Nigeria won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was promoted as the team’s Head Coach early March 2014 and successfully secured Golden Eaglets’ ticket for the 16th edition of the global cadet completion which Nigeria has won a record four times following the successes recorded in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013.
On the eve of the team’s departure from their training camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the World Cup finals, Amuneke sat with media officer, Morakinyo Abodunrin in a special interview where he discussed virtually everything about the Golden Eaglets. Excerpts…
Thenff.com: It has taken you a long road to be here, and the moment of truth is here for you…how do you feel that you will be leading Nigeria to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile?
Amuneke: First and foremost, I want to thank God that has been there every step along the journey since we started in 2014. I consider it as a privilege to serve the country in another capacity and we have done so with all sense of responsibility. I was clear in my thoughts about what I needed to do by assembling a team that would be able to secure a ticket through the African qualifiers. It was not easy initially because we had to build the team from one stage to another and eventually we qualified for the African U-17 Nations Cup in Niger and eventually, we also qualified for the World Cup in Chile. But it was not easy along the way; all along, I knew we had to be firm and strong in our decisions because the process at this category is full of many difficulties. So right from the start, we assumed the responsibility of doing things in the right way and to the best of our abilities. We were fair and just in all our decisions leading to this stage and it is our prayer as a team that God will crown all our efforts in Chile. We are set for the World Cup and I would be delighted if the players can put on display all that we have taught them in Chile; and we are optimistic that we are going to have a good tournament.
Golden Eaglets of Nigeria
Many people were of the view that you struggled to qualify for the World Cup by coming fourth at the African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic. Has this in anyway affected your confidence ?
With all modesty, I think we have done reasonably well looking at our circumstances. This process has been long; we started with a lot of players and along the line we were unable to use some of them in Niger Republic because of one reason or the other. In fact, some of our key players were affected by the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Test two weeks to the tournament in Niger Republic and we had to just work with the rest of the group to ensure that we qualified for the World Cup in Chile as the defending champions. I think we did our best in Niger bearing in mind that of all the four teams that represented Africa at the last World Cup in the UAE were in Niger Republic. We are the only one going to Chile and that to me, this is an achievement. Having said that, we have been working hard to correct some of the problems we had in Niger and we are hopeful that the new players we have added to the team would give us what we want; and add more value to what we already have on ground by the time we get to Chile.
So what has changed since Niger 2015 in February and what is the difference between the team you took to Niger Republic and the team you have picked for the World Cup in Chile?
As I said earlier on, we actually lost most of our key players especially due to the MRI Test going to Niger and that affected our overall performance. We missed the quality of several players in the attacking midfield and defence but all that is in the past now because we were still able to qualify for the World Cup in Chile, which was our sole objective going to Niger. People might feel our best was not good enough in Niger but I think the players gave their best though their best was not enough to win the tournament. The World Cup in Chile is here and we are mindful of the fact that we are going to play our first game against the USA on October 17; and we are working very hard. Hopefully, the image we gave at the African championship would be very different from what we are going to see in Chile and I’m positive that we are going to do well in Chile.
What gives you this kind of confidence going forward to Chile?
Amuneke With his assistant coaches
I have always believed in myself and in my team; I believe in the players that I have and in what I’m doing. I have constantly transmitted the same confidence into them so that they can have the same self –belief in their abilities in order to represent the country very well. We have told the players that it was a rare privilege for them to be picked to represent the country at this level and I’m confident that those that we have picked will do their best in Chile. We have some good players in this team but what is important to me is how to see them play as a team and function effectively; we want to see them perform effectively when they have and they don’t have the ball and if they can be able to do this, our job is half done.
Why the emphasis on team work ?
My belief is that a team must play collectively because we have passed the era whereby you rely only on one player to carry the team. Even those who are sitting on the bench are part of the project and as such, I always want to look at the totality of my team and how each player in different positions would function. Though you must have two or three quality players in a team, essentially, I always want the players to function as a team rather than as individuals. If we can function effectively, it allows the individual players to bring out the best in them.
Do you agree with the opinion that Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen are the best players in your team?
I don’t have to agree or disagree with people’s opinion on such matter but I think this team is not based only on Nwakali and Osimhen; we have other good players in the team….but I don’t always like to talk about individual players; we should not forget that these are players just growing up and we should not put too much pressure on them. I want all the players to work for each other; play as team and that is the only way we can get the best out of them. People easily mention Nwakali and Osimhen because they have been with us for a very long time but in the process of building this team, we have seen other good players. I just want all our players to go out there and do their best and by the time the tournament kicks off on the 17th, Nigerians would see and identify more talents in the team.
Most Nigerians usually compare your team with the 2013 World Cup-winning team of which you were an assistant coach. What is the difference between that team and the present team you are taking to Chile?
Frankly, I don’t always want to go into this kind of argument or comparison because it is difficult to change what people believe particularly for those who lack the wisdom to know that no two teams are the same. Though many people would not give us credit, this team has performed creditably well under very peculiar circumstances that I don’t even want to talk about. But this is a team that has been competing right from the beginning of our campaign in 2014; and any decent follower of the team will appreciate what we have done, though we never had the luxury of long time camping like the last team. I really want to thank all the players that went through the process with us until we arrived at this final stage…because without them, we would not even be talking about going to the World Cup in Chile. We were less than three weeks in camp when we went to the WAFU U-17 Tournament with players coming from all kinds of academies where they were not properly trained but I must give credit to them for always rising up to the occasion and meeting our own high expectations. Of course, we are always proud of the kind of players we had the last time but are we going to approach the tournament in Chile with the same philosophy with different set of players? By now, all the other teams must have defined how we play in terms of style and tactics but we must design another way of achieving the same goal with a new set of players. Agreed, African players have natural abilities but our emphasis now is to ensure that we function as a unit because the kind of attention we are going to get in Chile would be different from what we got in 2013 in the UAE. I don’t always want to compare teams because no two teams are the same. Every team has to write its own history.
What kind of history do you want to write with this team?
We want to defend the Cup we won in 2013 with the best of our abilities; but in the process, we want to see the team play very well and for the players to really enjoy themselves in Chile.
A lot of players have passed through the process since you started in 2014, so what factors determined the final 21 players you picked to represent Nigeria in Chile?
We picked players basically on what we called Three As: Ability; Attitude and Approach. Apart from that; we also looked at their vision; intelligence and above all; you know a player must also be eligible by passing the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Test before he can even be considered. We looked at what players that were available can add to the team and we have selected these boys in all fairness. We asked ourselves (I mean the coaching crew) salient questions before we eventually picked each of the players. Though I’m the Head Coach, it was a collective decision when picking the players and individually, I asked “why do we want to pick this player and what value can he add to the team.” We were objective and open-minded in our approach. The selection of the players had nothing to do with where he is from or from where he is coming from. I’m not going to play as the coach and we just have to pick the players who are going to give us their best on the pitch.
How do you react to the allegation that most of the players you selected came from a particular section of the country?
Frankly, this is another thing I don’t always want to talk about because my conscience is clear that we have done everything humanly possible to pick the best players and not based on where a player comes from. Last time, we had so many players from the Northern part of the country but they were not picked because they were from the North. Rather, they were picked because they were the best players available to us at that time; players like the captain Musa Muhammed, Bello Zaharaddeen, Musa Yahaya and others. But they were the best available at that time. Of course, I know we are divided with tribal sentiments in Nigeria but football is about the only thing that unite all of us …but we all know that merit comes before any other factor when it comes to football and that is exactly what we have done.
What does it mean to you that you are leading a team to the World Cup as a coach after playing at the World Cup as player in the 1990s?
This is another privilege and I’m always grateful that I was given the opportunity to represent the country as a footballer . And many years after, I have also been given the responsibility to represent the country as the coach to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015. But it is also a huge responsibility. I’m hoping for good results in Chile because we have worked very hard along the way.
Golden Eaglets Coach Emmanuel Amuneke
Does you being a former African Footballer of the Year an inspiration to your players or is it a burden because of your high demands?
It is never a burden because I don’t see myself as a former African Footballer of the Year before my players. I’m just their coach; and with the other officials, we are like fathers to these young boys. As such, we have to bring ourselves down to their level and my thought is to help these boys to write their own story. We have to encourage them and when the need arises, we have to also discipline them because in the final analysis, we want them to be good human beings and good footballers too.
What would be a good tournament for Emmanuel Amuneke at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015?
We can’t sit down here and be predicting the outcome of matches we have not played but it our responsibility as a team to go out there and do our best . All the 24 teams going to the tournament has one objective in mind and that is winning the cup. After all said and done, we pray for good luck too because that is also important.
Nigeria would start against USA on October 17, what are your thoughts few days away?
Honestly, we want to start the tournament on a winning note though it is not as easy as that. Every first match is crucial and it would be great if we can win our first match. We have to channel our thoughts and plans to that first game because it would help in consolidating our position in the other matches.
As part of your preparation towards the Wold Cup, you were in Suwon 4-Nation Tournament where your team played against Korea, Brazil and your group phase rivals in Chile, Croatia; how important was your participation in that tournament?
The 4-Nation Tournament in Suwon was a very good preparation for us because it gave us an insight into the quality of opposition and standard we are likely to see in Chile. We drew 1-1 with Korea; beat Brazil 2-1 and; lost 3-2 to Croatia. But we were happy with the response of the players because they were able to show some of the things we had been teaching them in training. We have seen Croatia and they also have seen us and it means we are not going to be new to each other in Chile. We are also here in Argentina and we have also seen their own team and that also give us an idea about the quality of opposition we are likely to see in Chile.
Golden Eaglets Coach Emmanuel Amuneke
Talking about preparation, is there anything you would have loved to do differently ahead of the World Cup?
Perhaps, if we had arrived our pre-World Cup training camp in Argentina earlier, but nevertheless we have been able to make the best use of our time here. It was good we came here because we have been able to adjust to the weather which is similar to what we are going to experience in Chile.
Nigeria have won this tournament four times in the past and incidentally all the four titles were won in Asia which has about similar weather condition with Africa, would the cold weather in South America and Chile, hinder your dream of winning Nigeria’s fifth title?
We are positive about our chances in Chile and I think you can win a match or tournament irrespective of where you played. Nigeria hosted this tournament in 2009 but it was a European side, Switzerland that won and they beat Nigeria in the final; that is a good example that we can deal with.
What is the strength and weakness of your team?
(laughter) If I should be telling you the strength and weakness of my team, I no longer have a job and that means I’m exposing myself….
What is your coaching philosophy?
I want my players to be responsible and enjoy their game…football is an art. Football talent is a gift from God and I want my players to be able to express their talent and be disciplined while expressing themselves. I love my team to be well organised though it is sometimes difficult because of the level of assimilation of players at this age category. So we must be responsible; defend collectively and organise ourselves so well that opponents cannot easily break us. We must assume responsibility as individuals and as a team.
Starting out, who were the coaches that inspired you to join the train after you retired as a player?
I had to think very hard and for a long time, before I eventually decided to become a coach. I wasn’t sure initially and had to ask myself series of question but once I was convinced, there was no going back. I obtained my licence in Spain because it was not enough to say ‘ I was a former player’ to be able to impart knowledge … along the line I was invited to Saudi Arabia where I worked as an assistant to Jose Morales who was then at Al-Hazm; he had assisted Jose Mourinho at Benfica and I really enjoyed my time with him. I learned so much under him especially how I can be able to manage up to 50 players in a session. It was a huge privilege to work under him and this has really helped me in my career as a coach.
You have faced a barrage of criticisms on this job, which one bothers you most?
(smiling)..None.
Why?
This is who I am…I don’t allow things I can’t control to bother me. People who lack wisdom are free to say anything they like about me but it doesn’t bother me once my conscience is free. Such people can never see what is right in what we are doing …those who criticise are people who do not even have faith in themselves.
What are your final thoughts as you leave for Chile with the Golden Eaglets?
Good dreams ; and that God shall reward our sacrifice and efforts. I’m hopeful that at the end of this assignment, God will take his glory and Nigerians would be happy.
Cup holders, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, have arrived in Santiago, capital city of Chile as one of Africa’s four flag bearers at the 16th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals, which is to be hosted by Chile 2015 between October 17 and November 8.
Nigeria has the competition won a record four times with the last being two years ago in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The defending champions flew into Santiago from their pre-World Cup camp base in Buenos Aires at 8:20pm local time on Tuesday (which is early hours of Wednesday in Nigeria (12:20 am), aboard a Lan Airlines flight.
Speaking to the media on arrival, Coach Emmanuel Amuneke and striker Victor Osimhen were upbeat about the chances of the Eaglets successfully defending the trophy.
Golden Eaglets Arrive Santiago
“We are here to defend the trophy,” said Amuneke.”We are here with new players who want to write their own history and we are looking forward to our first game against the United States of America, which is very important for us.”
Osimhen echoed the sentiment of Coach Amuneke, adding that they have been psyched up for the expected challenges as the defending champions. “We are here to win,” said Osimhen who is Golden Eaglets’ top scorer with 39 goals in 71 cumulative international and local matches.”Just as the coach said, we are here to write our own story as a team and players.”
Immediately after dinner at their Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Santiago-Vitacura, where they are accommodated for their opening match against USA on October 17, Amuneke reminded his wards to focus attention on nothing but football as the team seeks a fifth U-17 world title.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has applauded the Embassy of Nigeria in Argentina for rallying behind the Golden Eaglets during their pre-World Cup preparation in Buenos Aires.
Siji Lagunju, Assistant Director (Technical), on behalf of the Federation, said the Nigerian Embassy ably led by Mr. Tiwalade Adelanwa, the Deputy Head of Mission, contributed immensely to the Golden Eaglets’ successful stay in Buenos Aires.
Speaking to thenff.com before Golden Eaglets’ departure to Santiago on Tuesday for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, Lagunju said matter-of-factly that the embassy staff particularly Mr. Elekwachi Ndubuisi, Mrs. Felicia Ezeorah and Mr. Abolaji Olawunmi were very impressive in discharge of their duties.
Golden Eaglets Arrive Santiago
” I want to use this opportunity to thank the Nigerian Embassy officials here in Argentina. We were well received right from the first day, they were hospitable like true Nigerians.
“It was great the NFF brought us to Buenos Aires Football (BAF) to prepare for the World Cup which is a conducive environment that allows for maximum concentration. We are equally very grateful to the staff of BAF and the liaison official from Eurodata, Juan Partricio who were also wonderful during our stay in Buenos Aires.”
Nigeria’s U-17 side, Golden Eaglets, will on Tuesday have their work cut out when they tackle their Argentine counterparts in a friendly match at the Argentina Football Association (AFA) Training Centre in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires.
The match, which is part of the team’s preparation towards the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, will kick off at 3:30 pm local time (7:30pm Nigerian time).
In a related development, Golden Eaglets’ assistant coach, Kabiru Baleria, has yet again heaped plaudits on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over its choice of Buenos Aires Football (BAF) as the training camp for the national U-17 team ahead of U-17 World Cup finals.
The Emmanuel Amuneke -led side have spent few days at the idyllic BAF complex owned by former Argentine international, Matias Almeyda and Baleria said the quiet environment has added value to the team’s preparation, even as players battle for competition.
“It is nice we are here for our preparation towards the World Cup in Chile,” said Baleria, a former Nigerian International ” The boys are happy and you can see the excitement on their faces since we arrived here in Buenos Aires.”
The team has been training twice daily since arriving on Friday and the technical crew is delighted at the keen competition in camp.
Amuneke Emmanuel Golden Eaglets Coach
Coach Amuneke praised the intensity of the training and demanded further commitment from the players, adding that much was being expected from the team in Chile.
“I’m happy with the intensity of the training but we can get better,” Amuneke said on Monday.” We have to keep working hard in the coming days because we have few days before our first match at the World Cup.”
NFF’s Assistant Director (Technical) Siji Lagunju, who is with the team in Buenos Aires, said he was impressed with the quality of training as well as the response of the players. He is also of the view that the players would in due time be well attuned to the demands of the technical crew.
The Final Draw for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 took place on Thursday, with the 24 participating nations discovering who they will be facing in the group stage and where, key information that will help them with their preparations for the tournament kick-off on Saturday 17 October.
FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 photo credit fifa.com
The Groups:
Group A : Chile, Croatia, Nigeria, USA
Group B : England, Guinea, Brazil, Korea Republic
Group C : Australia, Germany, Mexico, Argentina
Group D : Belgium, Mali, Honduras, Ecuador
Group E : South Africa, Costa Rica, Korea DPR, Russia
Nigeria’s U-17 Head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke , would be the happiest man on Saturday should his wards put up a spirited performance to ensure qualification for a ticket to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile later this year.
Amuneke is best remembered for his brace in the 2-1 defeat of the Chipolopolo of Zambia in the Final Match of the 1994 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
Though the setting on Saturday between the Golden Eaglets and the Junior Chipolopolo is different, the 1994 African Footballer of the Year has said there would be no margin for errors.
He was optimistic his boys would do everything to gain a semi final berth at Niger 2015.
“Our expectations (against Zambia) is to win and secure our ticket for the World Cup in Chile,” former Barcelona winger told thenff.com.
“We have to psyche up ourselves and forget about the draw against Guinea, we have to be optimistic to play much better.”
Amuneke was of the view that the Golden Eaglets could play much better since the decider against Zambia would be played on the artificial turf of Stade Municipal.
“What we are doing is to lift their spirit and not being hard on them due to the last game and I want to believe they would be ready to play their usual normal game.”
Since the hard earned 1-1 draw against Guinea, the coaching crew has impressed it upon the players the magnitude of the match against Zambia on Saturday.
“We are hopeful of a better performance against Zambia tomorrow,” he said. “We are going to evaluate the players and gauge their state of mind after our last training session and we can be able to know those who will be ready to go into battle against Zambia.”
Emmanuel Amuneke, Golden Eaglets’ Head coach, has described the team’s first half performance in the pulsating 1-1 draw against Guinea here at the 11th African U-17 Championship as the worst since he took over the reins of the team almost a year ago.
The lads seemingly collapsed in the first stanza as the young Syli Nationale had better initiatives and deservedly went into the lead after Nigeria conceded a soft penalty in the 11th minute.
Captain Kelechi Nwakali later got the equalizer albeit through a spot kick
towards the end of the match much to the relive of Nigerians at the stadium.
But speaking at the post match conference, Amuneke said he was shocked about the team’s performance especially in the first half, even as he praised their resilience for salvaging a point.
“Frankly, this was our worst performance and the worst I have seen from these boys because we lost the initiative and composure of the game to the Guineans, “he explained. ” We knew that the Guineans have some good individual players in No. 8( Abdul Karim Conte); No. 11(Abdoulaye Jules Keita) and No. 14( Yamodou Toure) but we expected our boys to compose themselves much better.”
He however admitted that the tactical changes he made thereafter in the second half helped the team as Ebere Osinachi and Orji Okonkwo who respectively replaced Christian Charles and Suleiman Abdullahi forced the Guineans to commit several fouls.
The match actually saw hard man, Alseny Soumah getting the matching order with six others cautioned by Congolese referee Jean Jacques Ngambo.
“Of course, I want to praise the players for their resilience in getting a draw against Guinea because this was a difficult game for them,” he maintained.
“We played much better in the second half and it was good we got the equalizer.
“I’m not the referee and I think he is in better position to know if our equalizer was a good penalty or not. We deserved what we got but we would continue to work more for the coming matches.”
Nigeria must at least guide against a defeat in their last Group A match against Zambia on Saturday to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the semi finals as well as the much sought after ticket to the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup slated for Chile later this year.
Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, has predicted a tough test for his wards when they open their 11th African U-17 Championship account against Niger at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché (SGSK) in Niamey on Sunday.
The former Barcelona star believed a win against the host would set a good omen as Nigeria push for the trophy yet again. Golden Eaglets nearly won the championship the last time in Morocco but lost to Cote d’Ivoire in a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout after a pulsating 1-1 draw.
“The first game is very important and we want to win irrespective of the fact that we are meeting Niger,” said Amuneke who scored a brace in the 2-1 win over Zambia at 1994 African Cup of Nations Final Match. “Of course, we know it is never going to be an easy match because both teams would like to win. ”
He said he was not oblivious about the huge test of playing against the host in front of a partisan crowd, adding his wards must gird their loins:”We have told the players in clear terms that we want nothing but victory against Niger,” he said.”It’s never going to be easy but we must be tactically and psychologically sound for this match.”
Golden Eaglets’, who are drawn in Group A, would subsequently play Guinea and Zambia on February 18 and 22 respectively but Amuneke further stated that the focus of the team is Sunday’s match against Niger: “Mentally, we must be prepared for the home team but if we win, it will put us on course for other matches.”
Golden Eaglets
Meanwhile, the Golden Eaglets have started their build up towards Sunday’s opening fixture against Niger with impressive sessions at the practice pitch of Stade Général Seyni Kountché (SGSK) on Friday.
All the 21 players featured in the Morning session with players put under their paces in fitness exercises; passing drill; marking amongst others.
Amuneke psyched the players on the stiff test to expect on Sunday as the team fine tunes all the rough edges:”We need to psychologically prepare ourselves in all circumstances because in football, you can never neglect the inconveniences,”he said. “Our idea is that we want to win though we don’t know what the match can bring, we must be able to resolve the issue.”
Birthday boy, Suleiman, eyes Eaglets win
His birthday anniversary coincides with Golden Eaglets’ opening fixture at the 11th African U-17 Championship against host Niger on Sunday and Suleiman Muhammad wants nothing but victory.
Suleiman fondly called Yaro (small boy) by team-mates; is one of the new faces in the team but has been impressive since he was drafted after the team’s last open screening.
“I’m very lucky to be part of this team,” said a very shy Suleiman with a cherry smile.
Suleiman has every reason to be happy after he missed out of the
national Under-15 team that won the soccer Gold medal at the African
Youth Olympic Games in Botswana last year.
“I was not happy when my friends went to Botswana but I’m happy now,” he said.
Hails from Nigeria’s soccer city, Jos, Suleiman said he would be the happiest guy on Sunday should the Golden Eaglets win their opening
match against Niger.
11th CAF African U-17 Championship
“Insha Allah (by the grace of God), we shall beat Niger on Sunday and I have begged my team-mates to make it a special day for me,” explained Suleiman, whose favourite foods include rice and spaghetti.
Born February 15, 2000, Suleiman is the third in a family with three other boys and girls and revealed he wants to make his family proud.
“I’m the first person to play football in the family and it is my prayer that I become a great footballer,” he said.
“The only thing I love besides playing football is prayers; and I pray before matches and Insha Allah, we are going to win on Sunday,” he added.
Nigeria’s Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, Thursday safely arrived safely in Niamey for the 11th African Under-17 Championship and were given a royal welcome by members of the local-based Nigeria Football Supporters Club.
Golden Eaglets Arrive Niamey
Flag-waving members of the NFSC led by their chairman, Sidney Sunday Ubanna, rode in a motorcade with the team to their new abode in Niamey, Palace Royale Hotel, where accommodation have been reserved for the team.
The Nigerians assured the team of total support for the team throughout their stay in Niamey. A representative of Nigeria Ambassador to Niger, who was unavoidably absent, was also at the hotel to welcome the team.
“Some of us were actually in Sokoto yesterday when you played the friendly match against Fasbir and we were really impressed with the performance of the boys,” said Sidney.”We are also expecting more of our members and we are going to support the team all the way at this championship.”
Meanwhile, Coach Emmanuel Amuneke on arrival, told the players to remain focussed about the assignment at hand “We thank God we arrived safely here in Niamey and we have to remain focussed in the next two weeks in order to achieve our objectives,” he said. “We are here for business and by the grace of God; it shall be well with us here in Niamey.”
Golden Eaglets Arrive Niamey
In the meantime, the team would train twice on Friday and once on Saturday to strategise for their first match .The Golden Eaglets would open their Niger 2015 account with the championship’s opening fixture against the host, Niger on Sunday at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché (SGSK) multi-purpose stadium. They are drawn in Group A where they would also play Guinea and Zambia on February 18 and 21 respectively.
The Championship holds between February 15 and March 1 with the semi-finalists to represent the continent at the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile in October.
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