U-20 FOOTBALL
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Drawn into Group of Death
Seven-time champions Nigeria will battle it out with tough customers Egypt, South Africa and Morocco in the group phase of this year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, scheduled for Cote d’Ivoire 26th April – 18th May.
The Flying Eagles pipped host nation Egypt 1-0 in a group phase match at the last edition of the competition and must ensure a great start to their campaign in Cote d’Ivoire to build confidence for a gritty tournament. Nigeria finished third in Egypt two years ago.
Former Malian player Adama Coulibaly, who was an assistant at the draw conducted inside the CAF headquarters in Egypt on Thursday, said: “There is no doubt that the toughest group is the group B that has Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Morocco.”
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire will have to contend with DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and the yet-to-emerge representative team of Central Africa zone, in a five-team group A.
Cup-holders Senegal head group C, which also has Zambia and two debutants Kenya and Sierra Leone.
The two top-placed teams in each group, alongside the best two third-placed finishers in the three groups, will advance to the championship’s quarter-finals.
GROUP A: Cote d’Ivoire, UNNIFAC, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania
GROUP B: Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco
GROUP C: Senegal, Zambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone
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Though qualified as the second team fromthe Central African Football Federations’ Union (UNIFFAC) for the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Cote d’Ivoire, Congo have been excluded from the final draw holding on Thursday.
This results from the suspension recently imposed on the Central African country by FIFA.
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Uruguay and Italy will play the final match of the U20 World Cup holding in Argentina. Uruguay beat Israel 1-0 while Italy defeated Korea Republic 2-1 in their respective semi-final matches played on Thursday night.
It is the first time that both countries will be playing the final match. Twelve countries have won the cup in the past.
Argentina with six titles and Brazil with five are the most winners followed by Portugal and Serbia with two victories.
The other eight have a title each. They are Ghana, Russia, Spain, Germany and England. The remaining are France, England and Ukraine.
In Thursday’s semi-finals, goals from Cesare Casadei and Simone Pafundi secured Italy the 2-1 win over Korea Republic.
In the earlier semi-finals, a predator’s goal from Anderson Duarte grabbed Uruguay victory over Israel.
The final match will be played on Sunday night.
What a cruel fate for Flying Eagles’ coach, Ladan Bosso at the quarter finals stage of the U20 World Cup in the Americas.
Sunday night after-extra-time loss to Korea Republic was not the first time he experienced the cruel fate.
Flashback to 16 years ago in Canada. His Flying Eagles held on gamely in their quarter-final duel with Chile at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
Scores at regulation time was 0-0. Then the match moved to extra time. Thereafter things fell apart and the centre could not hold.
A team that held the Chileans to 0-0 for 90 minutes suddenly fell like the Biblical Wall of Jericho.
At the extra time, Bosso’s team crumbled miserably to a 4-0 defeat.
Again, his team has had to suffer another extra time defeat at the quarter-finals.
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