African Youth Championship: Flying Eagles gun for revenge in SA

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles hope to win the game against South Africa in a 2013 African Youth Championship qualifier.

 

Nigeria’s U20 team, the Flying Eagles, hope to avenge the 1-0 loss they suffered at the hands of their South African counterparts, the Amajita, when both teams clash on Friday night in a 2013 African Youth Championship qualifier.

In May, hosts South Africa piped Nigeria by a lone goal on their way to finishing third at the Cape Town International Challenge, which was won by world champions Brazil.

While Amajita has remained largely unchanged from that tournament, only about 11 players from the 25-man Flying Eagles squad are still very much involved with the country’s U20s.

Skipper and goalkeeper, Samuel Okani, Ikechukwu Okorie, Chizoba Amaefule, Shehu Abdullahi, Moses Orkuma and Alhaji Gero all played in that tournament.

Central defender, Amaefule, and Orkuma, however, did not play at the invitational tourney.

The African champions have now recalled forwards, Bright Ejike, Chidi Osuchukwu, as well as the exciting playmaker, Abduljaleel Ajagun, all players who featured at the 2011 AYC which was hosted by South Africa and won by Nigeria.

“We hope to improve on our game in Benin and win in South Africa,” declared coach Obuh.

The South African youth team, on the other hand, will continue to bank on Supersports United forward Snethemba Ngidi; striker, Thabani Mthembu; and skipper, Mbongeni Gumede.

While Nigeria dumped the Ngorogoro Heroes of Tanzania 4-1 on aggregate after they won their first leg in Dar es Salaam 2-1, their South African opponents scrapped through on the away goals rule after they beat a useful Congo team 1-0 at home when they lost their first leg 2-1 in Brazzaville.

The Amajita are committed to creating a big upset by eliminating the six-time African champions, Nigeria. They have moved this encounter from Port Elizabeth to “lucky ground” of the magnificent Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, where they slayed Botswana 4-0 last week.