October 16, 2015 – NFF President Amaju Pinnick has charged the Super Eagles team B and the Golden Eaglets to give Nigerians plenty to smile about this weekend when they confront oppositions of varying shapes in two very important matches.
The Super Eagles B confront Burkina Faso’s Etalons in a 2016 African Nations Championship final qualifying round, first leg match at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on Saturday afternoon. Hours after, the Golden Eaglets and the U-17 National Team of United States of America will do battle in the opening match of the 16th FIFA U-17 World Cup finals in Santiago.
Pinnick said: “It is a very important weekend for Nigeria football, and I call on the Super Eagles B and the Golden Eaglets to rise to the occasion. On our part, the NFF has given all the necessary support and is ready to provide even more support to ensure that the two teams do the nation proud in a great way.
“The Eaglets know that our country is the defending champion of the U-17 World Cup, and that is a big motivation in itself. They are challenged to give their very best. The home –based senior boys also realize that Nigeria cannot afford to miss the African Nations Championship coming up in Rwanda, having finished third at the last championship.”
Pinnick called on the two teams to strive for handsome wins that will almost guarantee further progress.
“The Eaglets must win in Santiago for three valuable points that will put them in good stead for qualification to the Round of 16, while the Eagles will ensure a comfortable second leg in Ouagadougou by winning very well in Port Harcourt,” Pinnick told thenff.com after speaking with Coach Emmanuel Amuneke in Santiago and Coach Salisu Yusuf in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Bronze medallists at the last African Nations Championship in South Africa, the Eagles B confront Burkina Faso’s Etalons at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium, for a place in Rwanda. Warri Wolves’ ace forward Gbolahan Salami will captain the home -boys in Saturday’s encounter.
The Eaglets begin their defence of the FIFA U-17 World Cup with a match against USA in Santiago. The champions spend 10 days at a final training camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina before flying into the Chilean capital on Tuesday.
Already, football’s world –governing body FIFA has selected German Deniz Aytekin as referee for the match, which starts at 9pm Nigeria time. Aytekin’s compatriots Guido Kleve and Markus Haecker are assistants referee 1 and 2, while Martin Strombergsson from Sweden will be fourth official.
In Port Harcourt, Angolan official Boubou Traore will be referee, with his countrymen Baba Yomboliba, Boubacar Kinta and Harouna Coulibaly as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively.
Eagles prepared for Burkina Faso – Salisu Yusuf
Super Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf said on Friday that the Super Eagles B are fully prepared for the Etalons of Burkina Faso ahead of Saturday’s 2016 African Nations Championship final qualifying round, first leg match in Port Harcourt.
“We have prepared hard, and we know victory will be ours. We take this match very serious because it is the final qualifying round, and we will have no excuse for Nigerians if we fail.
“We shall work hard to win handsomely, but we must score the first goal, before we score the other goals. That means we must approach the match with a level head and play normally.”
Yusuf spoke at the pre –match press conference at the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, which was also attended by assistant coach Jean Francois Loscuito, as well as Eagles’ skipper Gbolahan Salami and goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa.
The former Enyimba FC, Kano Pillars and El-Kanemi Warriors chief tactician was one of 18 coaches who attended a capacity –building program motivated by the NFF in the United Kingdom in March this year, and he also attended a ProZone software special training also in the UK the following month.
“We have been studying previous matches of the Burkina Faso team. They are certainly a good side but we have an idea of the best way to approach the game,” he said.
Salami, who was a member of the side that won bronze at the last championship in South Africa early 2014, said the Eagles desire to win well on the pitch of the Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium on Saturday evening.
“We are focused on the match and there are quite a number of good players in the team. There is confidence all around, but we do not under –rate the Burkinabes because we know they are good.
“We have no choice but to win and win well.”
On his part, assistant coach Jean Francois Loscuito said he hoped his experience of working in Burkina Faso will help greatly in devising a playing pattern that will unsettle the Etalons.
“Surely, they play as a unit, but they are missing a number of players and I believe this will be to the Super Eagles’ advantage on Saturday.”
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