Golden Eaglets captain, Kelechi Nwakali
Golden Eaglets captain, Kelechi Nwakali, says his side are not under pressure ahead of their opening game against hosts Niger at the 2015 African U-17 Championship.
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke’s side open their campaign at the 30,000-capacity Stade Général Seyni Kountché Stadium in Niamey on Sunday (today).
World champions Eaglets defeated Niger 4-1 at the same venue in one of the qualifiers for the last edition in Morocco.
“We are not under pressure playing against the hosts. The coaching crew told us this is the most important match because if we win, it would boost our confidence for the other matches,” Nwakali, younger brother of Chidiebere Nwakali, a member of the 2013 World Cup-winning team, said.
Also, gangling striker, Victor Osimhen, is hoping to shoulder the team’s goal scoring responsibility in Niger, as the Eaglets look forward to clinching a ticket for the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile.
Osimhen, joint top scorer during the qualifiers, have scored 18 goals in 38 matches (official and friendly matches) on the road to Niger 2015 and he remains upbeat about getting on the score sheet yet again.
He said, “Against Niger on Sunday, we are expecting nothing but victory because we have worked so hard to reach this stage. We are confident going into the match and our coaches have reminded us about hard work, focus and consistency because without these, we can’t achieve our objectives here.
“I’m not under any pressure and by the grace of God I’m going to deliver if I’m lucky to be fielded because we have a team that boasts other good strikers.”
Thirty-eight-year-old Angolan Helder Martins de Carvalho is the centre referee for the opening fixture of competition. The assistant referees are 31-year-old Marius Donatien (Ivory Coast) and Serigne Cheikh Toure (Senegal) while Cameroonian Antoine Max Depadoux Effa Essouma is the fourth official.
BY AGENCY REPORT
