FLYING EAGLES READY FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Players and officials of the under-20 national team, Flying Eagles have promised greater unity and sense of direction in Thursday’s clash with South Africa at the 16th African Youth Championship in Kigali, Rwanda. 

With three points from their first game, Coach Isah Ladan Bosso’s boys know victory over the Amajita at Kigali’s Regional Stadium will almost guarantee a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt later this year. 

As Bosso led his boys to watch the Group A matches - as Ghana beat Mali 2- 0, while Rwanda and Cameroon played 1-1 - at Amahoro Stadium, the coach was filled with a high sense of optimism for Thursday’s game.

“We are happy that we won the first match and have three points, but the truth is that we could have done better is the boys had done a few things the proper way.

“However, we have the opportunity against South Africa to show that we are more coordinated and more focused, and the players have pledged to deliver. I am confident of victory,” Bosso said.

As things stand, victory for the Flying Eagles (starting 2:30pm Nigerian time) and a draw in the first match of the day between Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire will mean a ticket to Egypt 2009 for Bosso’s boys. 

However, the Nigerians, winners in 2005 across the west-border in Benin Republic and runners –up in Congo two years ago, will still miss the services of SV Hamburg of Germany kid striker, Macaulay Chrisantus.

The top scorer at the 2007 U-17 World Cup in South Korea will conclude his two-match ban for being sent off in the final qualifying leg against Sudan in November last year.

Bosso and his assistants are likely to maintain the same team that earned victory over Egypt on Monday, even as they are hammering on team work and clinical finishing.