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By Judith Nwabia
Nigeria U-17 team will set up a training camp in Sokoto, a week to the U-17 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers rematch in Niger, coach Manu Garba has said.
Manu added that his side will train and acclimatise in Sokoto a week to the second leg match against Niger, Nigeria’s neighbour to the north, where he hoped to win by God’s grace.
The Eaglets won the first leg 1-0 in Abuja on Saturday with the return leg in Niamey on August 20.
“We will train and acclimatize in Sokoto a week to the match in Niger,” Manu told africanfootball.com.
The coach also expressed confidence the Eaglets will do the double over their opponents.
“We will beat them in Niger by God’s grace,” he said. “We have seen the lapses with these youngsters, who were playing only their first international game.
“I assure Nigerians we will be smiling again after the match in Niger because we cannot afford to go out at this stage of the competition.”
Meanwhile, Niger U17 coach, Soumaila Tiemogo has written off Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, boasting his team will reverse a 1-0 loss in Abuja by winning 3-0 in the return leg at home to advance to the next round of the tournament. “
In Niamey, we beat Nigeria 3-0 insha Allah. We prepared very well for this qualifier. The Nigeria team are not a team,” said the coach.
“Once we score the first goal, everything will change.”
However, Eaglets coach Manu Garba argued that Niger will be under pressure to win in front of their fans and that could well work against them.
“Niger are not a bad team, but they will be the ones under pressure in the return leg,” he said.
The Eaglets smashed past their Niger counterparts in 2012 6-0 at home after winning the first leg in Niamey 4-1.
At the 2015 U17 AFCON hosted by Niger, Nigeria again triumphed 2-0 with goals by Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen.
