Eaglets battle Sweden for final ticket

Golden Eaglets coach Manu Garba said he
was confident that his team would deliver in
Tuesday’s semi-final match against Sweden
at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
“All my life, I have never entertained any fear
and I don’t even know what fear means,”
Manu said at the pre-match conference. “Of
course, I know that whatever happens is
ordained by God, so I have no fear about
Sweden.”
When the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup kicked
off in the UAE on October 17, the Nigerian
team were undoubtedly among the
competition’s favourites because of the
country’s rich football history, especially at
this level.
They had won the competition in 1985, 1993
and 2007 and emerged runners-up in 1987,
2001 and 2009. But now, the Golden Eaglets’
fourth title aspiration seems tied to how strong
they can be against Sweden — their second
meeting since the competition began.
They had met in a Group F encounter which
ended 3-3 on October 22, a match the
Nigerian side described as their most testing
group match.
They had to draw level after going two goals
down by the 20th minute, and they still had to
come from behind to pick a point from the
match with nine minutes to go. Today,
however, the Eaglets have to do better as they
have more at stake.
In this their seventh semi-final appearance,
the Eaglets have a handful to prove against a
Swedish team making their debut in the
competition. So far, the Nigerians have proven
their strength with 20 goals while conceding
five in four wins and one draw so far. The
Swedes have scored 11 goals and conceded
7, from three wins, one draw and one loss.
However, one player the Nigerian team should
be wary of is Valmir Berisha who got a brace
in their Group F meeting. Berisha, a lofty
Swedish striker, has been instrumental in his
side’s progress at the competition.
But in Success Isaac and Musa Yahaya,
scorers against Sweden earlier, as well as
Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and Musa
Mohammed, the Eaglets seem to be up to the
task.
As it is, both teams would have to do without
one player each — Sweden’s Viktor Nordin and
Nigeria’s Akinjide Idowu — due to suspension.
Looking ahead to the match, Nigeria’s
goalkeeper Dele Alampasu who has conceded
five goals, with three of them against Sweden,
said he has learnt his lessons.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria , “I wasn’t
myself then. I messed up coming off my line
for the first goal and that weighed on me
afterwards. I was a bit lost after the first goal
and before I could get myself back in the
game, I was called on again and everything
went wrong.
“But, I thank God I got over it against Iraq
when we won 5-0 and I won’t make the same
mistakes against Sweden. I’ve learnt my
lesson.”
Nigerians are hoping to see the Eaglets play
the final match on Friday.