Beijing Olympic - Nigeria U23 soccer team in crucial opener against Holland
Tianjin (China) - Nigeria’s U-23 soccer team files out against Holland in a crunch group tie of the football event as underdogs but coach Samson Siasia is sure his players can stand the big challenge.
He said his team had all it takes to match the star-studded Dutch team on Thursday in Tianjin. As one of its confidence-boosters ahead of today’s match, the Olympic Eagles won a four-nation tourney in Malaysia shortly before moving over to South Korea for the final phase of its preparation for the Games. But despite the fine form the boys displayed at the competition, one of the usually unplanned for sides of competitive football has visited the team.
“We have been together for so long and no team in this competition can intimidate Nigeria. We are going all out for the maximum points against Holland and this is possible to achieve,” he said.
Siasia said he was not worried by the non-release of some key players by their respective clubs. “Others here are ready to do the job and it will be bad to start lamenting about people not here when we have other players training and ready to play,” he said.
The coach has lost the services of Ike Uche of Getafe and Israel-based goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama because the teams refused to release them. Taye Taiwo who is still within the U-23 age was also stopped by his club, Marseille. He has since been replaced with Olufemi Oladapo.
Meanwhile, Taiwo has lamented his club’s decision not to release him for the Olympics. He said his target was to help the country win in Beijing but regretted that the dream had been aborted.
Despite the setback, Siasia still believes that the boys in his camp have the quality to beat Holland: “We have a team of players, who know what the Olympics can do to their careers,” he said. “These boys are willing to put in their best to ensure that they go far in this competition. We are aware that the first match matters a lot and we are set for the challenge.
“The Netherlands is a very good team with experienced players. But this is the same team that we beat at the World Youth Championship in 2005. I know that a lot of things have changed in both the Nigerian and the Dutch camps, but just as they have grown in stature and experience, so have we. I think the team is ready for the job.”
The Dutch is one of the teams tipped to win the football gold medal. Before coming to China, they used a four-team tourney in Hong Kong to fine-tune their game for the men’s Olympic football tournament. In that competition, they demonstrated why they are major contenders for the gold in Beijing.
Nigeria U23 Olympic Soccer Squad:
Ambrose Vanzekin, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Onyekachi Apam, Dele Adeleye, Monday James, Chinedu Ogbuke, Sani Kaita, Victor Obinna, Promise Isaac, Solomon Okoronkwo, Ebenezer Ajilore, Olubayo Adefemi, Peter Osaze Odemwingie, Efe Ambrose, Victor Anichebe, Emmanuel Ekpo, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Olufemi Oladapo.
The Dutch are bursting with talented graduates of the country’s renowned youth program. Liverpool’s Ryan Babel leads a crew which also includes Real Madrid’s Royston Drenthe, Hedwiges Maduro and is rounded out by overage goal-poacher supreme, Roy Makaay.
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