President, of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has called on the Flying Eagles to be at their best when they face Senegal’s Young Lions of Teranga on Friday in a make-or-mar 13th African Games group phase final match at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium in Accra.
The NFF boss minced no words in saying he had not been impressed with the outing of the seven-time African champions at the continental meet so far, in which they have lost 2-1 to Uganda and edged South Sudan courtesy of a late penalty converted by Isiyaka Sadiq.
“Nigeria has a high pedigree in youth football across the globe and that is a fact that should ring loud in the minds of every player wearing the green-white-green at that level. We did not fare well against Uganda and I gave the boys a piece of my mind.
“Against South Sudan, we should have done more and taken the three points quickly but had to struggle. I believe the players have the potential to do far more and they should start by showing their stuff against Senegal on Friday. It is a match we have to win to reach the semi-finals”.
Initially, Group B housing Nigeria had five teams, which would have amounted to each team playing four matches instead of three. However, Tunisia pulled out late in the day, and with six-pointer Uganda having picked the first semi-final ticket from the pool, the second ticket is a straight fight between Nigeria and Senegal. South Sudan are out of the running having lost both games.
On their part, champions Falconets have no such worries in the women’s event of the Games as they head into their final match of the group phase having picked up the semi-finals ticket, with six points from their first two matches.
Chioma Olise and Yina Adoo scored to send Morocco packing on match-day 1, before an avalanche from Loveth Edeh, Motunrayo Ezekiel, an own goal by Aisha Kales and again Chioma Olise put Senegal to the sword on Monday night.
Cameroon, who have endured a string of defeats by Nigeria in various sporting spectacles in recent weeks, face another humiliation as they must take on the supercharged Falconets at the Cape Coast Stadium on Friday evening.
