Praises from fans as Eaglets avenge Nigeria’s recent losses to Uruguay

Football fans in Ebonyi on Sunday hailed the Golden Eaglets for defeating Uruguay on Saturday at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In separate interviews the fans described the victory as revenge for previous losses by Nigeria to the South Americans.
Eaglets beat Uruguay 2-0 on Saturday, through a Taiwo Awoniyi brace in a quarter-final match played at Sharjah, to qualify for Tuesday’s semi-finals.
However, Uruguay’s senior national team had defeated their Nigerian counterparts, the Super Eagles, 2-1 in the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil in June.
The Flying Eagles, Nigeria’s under-20 men football team, also lost 1-2 to Uruguay’s under-20 men team at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
The Ebonyi fans however said that the Eaglets had shown that Nigerian football had come of age and urged the team not to rest on its oars in its remaining matches.
Ikeuwa Omebe, a former chairman of Ezza North Local Government in Ebonyi, said the team’s performance against the South Americans was superlative and they were poised to win the competition.
“This is a national team which recorded the longest period of preparation in recent times, and the coaches selected players who diligently imbibed their technical teachings.
“The team’s win over Uruguay showed its tactical depth, which is concretised by its scoring 20 goals and conceding five so far in the competition,” he said.
George Anizoba, coach of Mgbo Ambassadors Football Club of Ohaukwu, the 2013 Ebonyi Federation Cup champions, said the Eaglets had proven that they are a well-groomed side.
“Their quality is shown in the fact that the team reached this stage of the competition from a group that has produced two other semi-finalists — Sweden and Mexico,’’ he said.
The coach however urged the team not to be complacent against Sweden in the semi-finals.
“They should not forget that the Swedish team gave them their toughest test at the group stage when both sides drew 3-3,’’ Anizoba said.
He suggested that the Eaglets’ coaches should review the tape of their previous match with Sweden so as to be able to effectively work on the team’s areas of weaknesses.
On his part, Mr Rufus Ebenyi, an Ebonyi Ministry of Youths and Sports’ official, called on the coaches to work seriously on the team’s defence.
“The team appears vulnerable at the rear,’’ he said.
Nicholas Okpo, a striker of Nehuda Football Club of Abakaliki, prayed for the speedy recovery of Eaglets striker Success Isaac, who sustained an injury during the team’s earlier encounter with Sweden.
“Apart from being the arrowhead of the Eaglets’ attack, being fit for the match will afford Issac the opportunity of paying the Swedes in their own coin for injuring him,” he said.
Miss Amarachi Igwe, a Physical Education teacher, called on Nigerians to realise that the other three teams still in the competition are also made of “the champions stuff’’.
She however called for prayers for the team.
“The Eaglets have mesmerised the whole country with their splendid football artistry, but fervent prayers are needed on their behalf.
“This will help them to overcome the intriguing aspects of football, such as ill-luck and poor officiating, among others,” she said.(NAN)

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