The Golden Eaglets would face the Democratic Republic of the Congo and not Burundi in next month’s 2015 African U-17 Championship fixture.
Drawn bye into the second round of the qualifiers, the Nigerian Under-17 national team was originally scheduled to meet the overall winner of the first round fixture between Congo DR and Burundi, but the latter, according to the continental soccer governing body, CAF, has withdrawn from the competition.
The 2015 CAN Under-17, slated for Niger, has already been bedevilled by spate of withdrawals, including those of Kenya, Central African Republic, Liberia, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau.
Gambia was disqualified following their suspension from all CAF competitions.
Nigeria in the meantime, would travel to Kinshasa on the weekend of July 18-20, while the return fixture a fortnight later would be held on the weekend of August 1-2.
Speaking on the development, the Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, said his boys would be ready irrespective of the opposition.
Amuneke said: “We don’t have the luxury of picking the team we want to play.
“As such, we would be ready to play the Congolese.”
It would be recalled that the Golden Eaglets in 2013 defeated Congo Brazzaville 7-0 at the CAN Under-17 in Morocco, but Amuneke reckoned that the fixture against Congo-Kinshasa offers a different challenge.
“Of course, Congo-Kinshasa would be different from Congo-Brazzaville that we met in Morocco, but we know that the Congolese in whatever shape are a strong side but we would be ready,” Amuneke added.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eaglets, according to Amuneke, remain focussed about the challenges ahead, revealing that series of upcoming friendly matches would be used to fine-tune the team’s rough edges.
Trending
- 1.94 million students sat for 2024 JAMB – Registrar
- M-I-NA 2024: Organiser announces national campaign, to promote Nigerian brand. Consumers patriotism
- Just in: Tinubu arrives Netherlands on state visit
- My purported suspension from APC, African Magic drama — Ganduje
- Hilda Baci reacts as VeryDarkMan accuses her of fraud
- Men are crazy, but I still want one in my bed — Tiwa Savage
- Sokoto: Gov Aliyu dethrones 15 traditional rulers
- N14b moved in one hour by Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs — EFCC