Flying Eagles set to fly past Tanzania

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will today take on the junior national  team of Tanzania in the return leg of the African championship qualifier with a 2- 0 advantage.
If the  2-0 result secured by the Flying Eagles in Daresalam  against  Tanzania is anything to go by, today’s return leg game in the African championship  qualifier  may be considered a walk over.
One may also be tempted to give it to Nigeria on the basis of her better football pedigree  against the  Ngorongoro of Tanzania.  Despite this advantage,  the host goes into the encounter with players just recovering from injury, as well as the late coming of  Isaac Promise which makes it a tough preposition. The striker who missed the first leg game due to the failure of his club to release him only joined the team few days ago. This may create a blending problem, though the coach has dispelled any fear.  According to coach Garba Manu, “we do not have any doubt about the ability of the players. We all know the importance of this game, so we will throw everything into it”
Despite his  confidence, Manu  is going into the encounter with  key players battling to prove their fitness after just recovering from one or the other. In the defence line,  Wilfred Ndidi and Izu Omego who did yeomen job of keeping the Tanzanians at bay in Daresalam  will seek to replicate their performance after experiencing minor injury which kept them out of training last week. Striker kelechi Iheanacho is also  expected to put his injury woes behind by leading the attack alongside Isaac Promise who had promised to stop the Tanzanians. Although team medics  had assured on the  players fitness, the coaching crew will be treading on the part of caution with a clear instruction for the players to play safe.
However, Manu and his crew will  also be banking on FC Porto striker, Chidera Eze and Bernard Bulbwa  to compliment the other players to wreck their opponents.
Inspite  of the depth of talent in the team, Manu insisted that there will be no automatic shirt for any player. “All the players are doing well, so there is stiff competition for shirts. Bu there will be no automatic shirt for any player, whether home based or foreign based. We are going into the encounter as if  the first leg  was not won. All the players know the importance of this game and will not take anything for granted. I have told the players that they have a hue task not to let the country down.”
Although Nigeria won the first leg, the team was subjected to a hostile reception as they were barred from training at the match venue by overzealous security men in a bid to intimidate the players.
Manu, however, said the team will not be subjected to any hostility. “We will play fair game despite their antics in the first leg. We just appeal to Nigerians to give us the maximum support so that we can keep the country’s flag flying.”
The match, which comes up at 4pm at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in kaduna promises to be exciting, as fans had being mobilised to come out enmasse.
The African  youth championship comes up in Senegal next year.
Meanwhile, security have been beefed up around the city to forestall any  threat to players and officials. Also , there are plans to mobilize a large detachment of security to the match venue.