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We underrated Guinea, Golden Eaglets confess

By EDITOR
19 February 2015   |   11:00 pm
Pinnick, Glo want team focused against Zambia MEMBERS of the national Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, have confessed that they underrated their Guinean counterparts, who held them to a 1-1 draw in their second match of the on-going African Under-17 Championship holding in Niger Republic.   Nigeria defeated Niger Republic 2-0 in their opening game of…

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Pinnick, Glo want team focused against Zambia

MEMBERS of the national Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, have confessed that they underrated their Guinean counterparts, who held them to a 1-1 draw in their second match of the on-going African Under-17 Championship holding in Niger Republic.

  Nigeria defeated Niger Republic 2-0 in their opening game of the championship, but they came against a solid Guinean team, who nearly ran away with a 1-0 victory, before a late Kelechi Nwakali penalty rescued the Eaglets.

  Speaking on the game, Golden Eaglets’ striker, Orji Okonkwo, said: “Two things happened yesterday; we lost focus and we also underrated Guinea.” 

  Defender Lukman Halilu added: “We had a bad day against Guinea. They were faster than us and in the defence; we were very poor and dull. The Guineans were faster to the ball than us, but we would push ourselves

harder in the next game against Zambia.”

 Coach Emmanuel Amuneke has asked the players to put the result behind them and focus on Zambia, impressing it on them that teamwork is sacrosanct to achieve success. “We had a bad game against Guinea because we thought we had won but you must respect your opponents and that is the attitude we must have against Zambia.”

  All the players except striker Christian Charles, who had a knock against Guinea, took part in the team’s training session at Centre Technique (Goal Project Centre) pitch yesterday.

  Meanwhile, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has charged the Golden Eaglets to shake off Wednesday’s poor performance against Guinea and be resolute in their quest to secure a ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

  Pinnick’s solidarity message was delivered through Dr. Mohammed

Sanusi, NFF’s Director of Competitions, at training yesterday.

   “The NFF President and General Secretary monitored the game from London but they were not happy because they know what you are capable of doing,” Sanusi said,” adding, “but they want you to remain focused and get the job done against Zambia on Saturday.”

  Sanusi advised the players to give their best since posterity would not be kind on them should they fail to qualify for the World Cup: “Success in life is a question of destiny and hard work, but you have to work harder to fulfill your destiny. This is your destiny and through your efforts, you can change your life and that of your family.”

 Also urging the Eaglets to redouble their efforts when they meet Zambia, telecommunications outfit, Globacom, has urged the team to ensure total victory on Saturday.

   The company, in a statement released in Lagos yesterday, said outright victory over the Zambian U-17 national team in the last group match of the Championship would place the Eaglets at a vantage position to amass the three points and also qualify for the quarter finals. 

  “The draw with Guinea was not a bad outing, but the Zambia match is a must-win and we believe the Eaglets can make it,” Globacom added.

  Globacom is the official sponsor of all Nigerian national teams.

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