Flying Eagles out to avenge Amajita defeat

Flying Eagles coach, John Obuh

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will hope to avenge a 0-1 loss it suffered at the hands of Amajita on Friday night when both teams clash again in a 2013 AC qualifier.

In May, hosts South Africa stopped its Nigerian counterpart with the odd goal on the way to finishing third at the Cape Town International Challenge, which was won by world champions Brazil.

While Amajita has remained largely unchanged from that invitational tournament, only about 11 players from the 25-man Flying Eagles squad are still very much involved with the country’s U20s.

Skipper and goalkeeper Samuel Okani, Ikechukwu Okorie, Chizoba Amaefule, Shehu Abdullahi, Moses Orkuma and Alhaji Gero are still starters from that tournament.

Central defender Amaefule and Orkuma did not kick a ball at the invitational tourney though.

The African champions has now recalled forwards Bright Ejike, Chidi Osuchukwu as well as the exciting playmaker Abduljaleel Ajagun, all players who featured at the 2011 AYC which was hosted by South Africa and won by Nigeria.

The South Africa youth team, on the other hand, will continue to insist on the mercurial Supersport forward Snethemba Ngidi, striker Thabani Mthembu and skipper Mbongeni Gumede.

Ngidi is a genuine top performer who makes up for his lack of inches with his speed, vision and creativity going forward. If he plays, South Africa will play.

They have proved to be a very decent team and their confidence going into this massive decider must have been boosted by their wins over Botswana in warm-up matches, where they netted eight goals and kept a clean sheet in both games.

They play a quick attacking game, creating a rash of chances but could do a lot better with their finishing.

The Flying Eagles prepared for this clash by playing out a 1-1 draw with next-door neighbours Benin Republic, who will host Senegal in their own AYC qualifier on Sunday.

It was a match in which the Nigerians showed character, self belief and a strength in depth as coach John Obuh threw in seven substitutes at the game played at the Rene Pleven Stadium in Cotonou.

“We hope to improve on our game in Benin and win in South Africa,” declared coach Obuh.

Nigeria dumped the Ngorogoro Heroes of Tanzania 4-1 on aggregate after they won their first leg in Dar es Salaam 2-1.

South Africa scrapped through on the away goals rule after they beat a useful Congo team 1-0 at home after they lost their first leg 2-1 in Brazzaville.

The Amajita is committed to creating a big upset by eliminating six-time African champions Nigeria and so have moved this encounter from Port Elizabeth to “lucky ground” of the magnificent Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, where they slayed Botswana 4-0 last week.

The hilly Northeastern city is football mad and after successfully hosting the historic 2010 World Cup, it will again welcome some of Africa’s best teams to the 2013 Nations Cup from January.

A crowd of 9,500 were on hand at the Mbombela to watch Bafana Bafana beat Mozambique 2-0 in last week’s friendly, which was ushered by the Amajita vs Botswana rematch.

However, despite their love for the beautiful game, Nelspruit does not have a top-flight team after Mpumalanga Black Aces of Witbank spent a season in the Premier Soccer League before they were relegated.