…as NFF charges team on crucial assignment
Falconets will hope to continue their journey at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland as they face New Caledonia in their final group game on Sunday.
After picking up a point in their last game against China having lost the opening game 2-0 against Spain, Nigeria will need to get a good win against their opponent who already conceded 16 goals from their first two games against Spain and China.
According to the coach of the team, Moses Aduku, the Falconets will fire from all cylinders when they take to the pitch of the Stadion Miejski LKS Łòdź on Sunday against their counterparts from New Caledonia.
The debutants sit at the bottom of Group F, having lost 5-0 to China in their first match and 11-0 to Spain in their second match, with no points garnered and a goal difference of minus 16.
“The results in their last two matches notwithstanding, we will not under-rate our opponents,” he said.
“I am happy because the girls are in good spirits and ready to go, and there are no injuries in our camp as I speak.
“We all know the implication of our not scoring goals on Sunday, so we will go in there and focus on scoring goals to stand a chance of reaching the next round. We cannot afford to go back home now.”
Nigeria, on one point derived from the scoreless draw with China on Thursday, must win well to erase their two-goal deficit and have a healthy goals’ balance to make it to the Round of 16, no matter the result of the other Group F encounter between Spain and China.
Meanwhile, Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, has called on Falconets to rise to the occasion when taking on New Caledonia in their last group phase encounter on Sunday.
Ikpeme said: “You have a great chance to qualify for the Round of 16 if you win and win well against New Caledonia. It is a good opportunity that you have to prove yourself but you must approach the match with clarity of purpose, focus and ambition.
“You had a good game against China but you did not score, so our country is still with one point on the table. Against New Caledonia, the goals are important to take us to four points and a good position to reach the knockout rounds.”
