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MARCH 12, 2007 VOL. 20. NO 22

Restoring Wounded Pride

**Nigerian U-23 Team**

Nigeria’s’ U-23 Dream Team, hailed for their away goalless draw with Ghana’s Meteors, as Siasia rejects the MKO Abiola Stadium venue for the second leg
By Oji Odu
It’s not over yet, it’s still even. We created lots of chances, but unfortunately we couldn’t score. We would have to keep on fighting and in Abuja, the game would be decided--.”
That was the reaction of Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, coach of the Black Meteors of Ghana, who were forced to a goalless draw in the first leg game of the final qualifier for the All African Games, played at the Coronation Park, Sunyani, Accra by Nigeria U-23 Dream Team on Sunday, February 25, 2007.
When the Ghana media and fans hailed the Nigerian coach and team and wanted an exclusive interview with Samson Siasia, the Nigeria U-23 coach, said that he believed that Ghana was as good as having lost the second leg and its participation in next years, All African Games soccer tournament, as the only slot for Zone III would be Nigeria’s.
Siasia: “I am happy the boys held on despite the bad weather here. You can see that the ploy by Ghana to roast my boys in the burning sun did not help them either.
“We have the best chance to finish up the work at home in the return leg. It is not over yet because we still have a lot to do in the team if we must smile at the end of the day.”
Siasia revealed that the match exposed the many loopholes in the Meteors, which he said, would be capitliased upon to bag the single ticket for the zone and end Ghana’s fourth consecutive participation in the soccer event.
However, the draw by the Siasia- led team came at the right time to boost the confidence of Nigeria football, which had suffered serious psychological setback as a result of the recent 4-1 white-washing of the senior team, Super Eagles, early in February by the Black Stars in a friendly in London.
Before the match, many people had hoped it would be a revenge mission by Nigeria, but coach Siasia put paid to this insinuation after the match. Siasia: “Like I keep saying, I do not see the match as a revenge like many people have touted it to be. I came here to pick a win, but I am happy with the draw. My boys played according to instructions and we deserve what we got today.
The draw by the U-23 Dream Team which follows the 5-0 plummeting of the Equatorial Guinea team, has also become a soothing balm to the crave for indigenous coaches to be given the chance to prove themselves, even with the not-too good performance of the Goddy Uwua-led U-20 team.
Ex-international and two-time chairman of Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt, and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State, Hon. Adokie Amiesimaka (MON), hailed the performance of the Dream Team against the Black Meteors, who were mostly home-based players with the Ghanaian squad made up of about five professionals.
Amiesimaka: “Siasia has proven some of us right. We don’t need expatriate coaches to handle our national team. If it were in Europe, Siasia will be immediately drafted into the senior national team following his success with the age grade teams over the past two years.
On the hiring of foreign coaches, Amiesimaka who has never hidden his disgust for those who clamour for it said, “until those behind this idea of hiring foreign coaches stop the act, we will not move forward. The future of our football is in our hands, not in the hands of foreigners who will leave us some day.”
As the U-23 Dream Team prepares to host the Black Meteors, the Nigerian players are optimistic that they would beat the Ghanaians. Obinna Nsofor who plays for Chievo Verona in Italy, commended the fighting spirit of his teammates and opined that the Meteors would surely fall in the second leg billed for Abuja on March 11, 2007.
Obinna: “Ghana is no push over in African football, but they can’t stop us from clinching the All African Games ticket.
“We are determined to continue from where the Holland team stopped and I hope all the key players will be released for the return leg in Abuja.”
Meanwhile, The Source’s findings reveal that the Nigerian Football Association (NFA), is seriously making plans to change the venue of the encounter to the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta. Whether the Glass House is doing this in revenge of what Ghana Football Association did by changing the revenue of the first leg less than 24 hours to the match, and to psychologically diminish the morale of the Meteors, is no more the issue.
The Source learnt of Siasia’s rejection of the newly proposed venue, especially because of its small size, as he believes that it might not give his boys the room to play good football. But the Ogun State Commissioner for Sports, Bukola Olapade, does not see anything wrong with it.
Olapade: “—We have been approached by the NFA with the prospect of hosting the U-23 Eagles match against Ghana on March 11. To be honest with you, I do not see anything wrong with that.
“Right now, we are considering it though I would say it is possible as a fore-runner of the March 24 African Cup of Nations clash between the Super Eagles and the Cranes of Uganda.
Soccer analysts, according to The Source’s findings, are of the opinion that the nation cannot afford to sacrifice national interest for personal or state pride, hoping that Nigeria will not suffer another Super Eagles Versus Angola world cup qualifying episode which was played in Kano in the preparation and implementation of this match with the Meteors of Ghana.