…Another West African Country in Gambia took it from her in 2021.
Eniola Olatunji reporting
#CAFTotalEnergyAfricanYouthChampionshipEgypt2023.
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria should have just lined up with the Bronze medals hung around their necks if records are to be used to determine winners of the CAF U20 matches the 3rd place match to be played against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Friday at the Cairo International Stadium at 1500 hours Nigerian time.
Now Leicester FC ace player, Kelechi Ihenacho known as senior man scored against Tunisia on 13th October 2020 in an International Friendly match before M. Drager equalized 44th minute for 1-1 score line. Nigeria had on 17th July 2019 narrowly piped Tunisia 1-0. However, Tunisia won the last encounter before Egypt 2003 on 22nd January 2022 1-0.
The odds favor Nigeria as Comoros Islands Referee, Mohammed Athomuni officiates the match that will determine if Nigeria goes back to Abuja with the Bronze medal for the 5th time having won it in 1995; 2005; 2009 and 2013. Tunisia was Silver medalist in 1985 and lost the Bronze at the last competition in Mauritius to Gambia. Will Tunisia submit the Bronze Medal to Nigeria another West African country again?
Nigeria won the title seven times in 1983; 1985; 1987; 1989; 2005; 2011 and 2015. Also won Silva in 1999 and 2007. The next country to Nigeria is Ghana that won four times but are not qualified for this tournament on current form at the competition in Egypt, Nigeria is no mate to Tunisia having won 3 of 5 matches, lost 2; scored 4 goals and conceded just two. Tunisia won 2 matches; drew one and lost 2 like the Flying Eagles scoring 5 goals and conceding 8 goals.
Take for the records Nigeria lost to Senegal 0-1; beat hosts Egypt 1-0; and pecked Mozambique 2-0 in the group games. In the quarterfinals Nigeria beat Uganda 1-0 and lost in the semifinal to the Baby Scorpions of Gambia by a lone goal.
Tunisia lost their opening match like Nigeria 0-1 to Gambia; played goalless with the Squirrels of Benin Republic; and defeated Zambia 2-1 in the group games. The quarterfinals against Congo was the only match of the tournament to get into extra time and penalty shootouts 3-3 AET and breathtaking win of 5-4 at the penalties before Senegal trounced Tunisia in the semifinal 3-0.
The first superiority of Nigeria over Tunisia is that of the five matches played by each team, Nigeria had three clean slates while Tunisia had one. Clean slates mean not conceding a goal in a match. It is considered awesome in football. It means the team has a solid defence and a good goalkeeper. Credit Nigeria
If you are not convinced, check out goals scored and conceded. Nigeria is a poor goal scoring nation with 4 goals in 5 matches and all scored by individual players. It is unfortunate that of the three Attackers of Nigeria, none of them have scored a goal or gotten an assist. Ahmed Abdullahi hustled for a penalty in the semifinals against Gambia 85th which would have changed the ‘face’ of the game, but he kicked the ball like a pregnant woman missing a great opportunity. Jibril Othman of Tunisia is a two-goal hero and may daze Nigeria.
The preparation of Nigeria for the tournament looks like the country is overconfident of the record seven times Continental champions as the NFF failed to arrange friendlies with countries within the zones of their opponents in the competition. Only relevant friendly was with Zambia instead they strolled outside the continent.
Coach Ladan Bosso raised a lamentation that his boys were naïve against Gambia in the semifinals and played stupidly which also raises serious question of the capacity of the coaching crew to parade such a team in at the semifinal stage of a continental duel. A whole seven times champions?. What then is the quality of the coaching crew because the output of the players is a reflection of the capacity of the coaches including goalkeeper quality.
All the four teams in the 3rd place match and the finals between Senegal and Gambia on Saturday at 1800 hours as at the Cairo International Stadium have qualified for the world cup finals in Indonesia 20th May to 11th June this year Nigeria is to submit her final list of players on April 10 meaning some attackers might be dropped.
