The Nigerian U-20 football team, also known as the Flying Eagles, is set to begin their U-20 World Cup campaign with an opening fixture against the Dominican Republic. The match, which is the first encounter between both countries at any competitive level, promises to be an intriguing one. It is billed to take place today at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina.
Nigeria, the seven-time African champions and two-time finalists at the U-20 World Cup, qualified for the tournament after securing a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the third-place match at the 17th Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt in March. On the other hand, the Dominican Republic made history by qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup at any level, reaching the semi-final of the Concacaf U-20 Championship following a 1-0 win over Jamaica in the quarter-finals.
Despite the Quisqueyano’s historic achievement, they have lost their last five games, including games against Ecuador (3-0), Argentina (0-4), Uzbekistan (0-3), Iraq (3-2), and Brazil (1-0). Nigeria, who will be eager to build on their impressive pre-tournament form, will not underestimate the debutants.
The Flying Eagles coach, Ladan Bosso, has vowed that his side will go into the encounter with full confidence, but will not underrate the Dominican Republic. “More than anything else, what the results have done is to give us confidence that we can get the job done. Victory over Dominican Republic on Sunday (today) will stabilize our winning mentality. It is a factor that matters in championships, and that is why we are determined to win on Sunday,” said Bosso.
Bosso is also likely to retain the squad that started the friendly against Colombia in Buenos Aires last Tuesday. The squad comprises Chijioke Aniagbosos in goal, Daniel Bameyi, Solomon Agbalaka, Abel Ogwuche, and Benjamin Frederick in defence, with Ibrahim Muhammad, Samson Lawal, and Jude Sunday upfront. However, Emmanuel Umeh, who was among the scorers in both friendlies, may replace Jude Sunday in the starting lineup.
AC Milan U-19 star, Victor Eletu, may not feature in today’s encounter after joining up with the Flying Eagles squad late. The midfielder was only released by Milan after playing an U-19 game on Wednesday before he headed out to South America.
Nigeria’s second group game will be against Italy on Wednesday.
