U-20 World Cup: Fans Caution Nigerians Against High Expectation

Football fans in Ebonyi have cautioned against high expectations from the Flying Eagles in spite of their 4-0 mauling of North Korea at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

The Tidesport source reports that the Eagles beat the Koreans yesterday to record its first win of the tournament after losing 2-4 to Brazil on Monday.

The fans in separate interviews yesterday in Abakaliki said though the Eagles performed better in the match, Nigerians should not put the team under undue pressure as the competition progress.

, a former Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Football Association (NFA), Chief Obinna Ogba congratulated the team on the victory, saying it would restore the team’s confidence.

Ogba, who is also a Senator-elect for Ebonyi Central Senatorial Zone, however, noted that the team had not attained its full potentials as some lapses were still noticed in their play.

“No one should assume that the team is now efficient because of the 4-0 win over the Koreans.

“This is because the Korean team which had earlier been beaten by Hungary 5-1 on Monday were not the sort of opposition to truly test the Eagles full abilities,” he said.

A Member of the Ebonyi House of AssemblyMr Chike Ogiji, said that the Eagles true test would be against Hungary in the last group match on Sunday.

Ogiji urged the Eagles not to allow the victory over the North Koreans to get into their heads but to prepare adequately for the Hungarian challenge.

“The coaches should critically review the matches against Brazil and North Korea to effectively map-out the appropriate players’ selection and tactics to ensure victory against Hungary,” he said.

former Enugu Rangers International defender, Vincent Okplaka, advised Coach Manu Garba to work on the team’s tactical discipline on the pitch.

“The players loose concentration easily thereby losing the ball incessantly to opponents as evidenced in the matches against Brazil and North Korea.

“This trend was first noticed during the African Youth Championship in Senegal where even the defenders toss the ball carelessly in their eighteen yard box losing possession in the process,” he said.

A Sports Psychologist, Dr Felix Onuoha said the lapses noticed in Eagles so far in the competition were due to the level of opponents it played during its training tour of Germany.

“The Eagles played U-23 teams of average German clubs such as Nuremberg, Freiburg and Hoffenheim.

“These teams did not provide the quality opposition needed by a world cup-bound team.

“The other countries engaged fellow national teams in its preparation but the Eagles were revelling in their 5-0 and 5-2 demolition of opponents that were in the real sense, part-time footballers,” he said.

A teacher, Mrs Nkechi Ibe,said Nigerians should celebrate the team’s victory, “as recording such emphatic win in a world cup was no fluke.

“The team needs encouragement and prayers as this win is the much needed tonic for it to bounce back to winning ways.