Nigeria U23 team coach, Samson Siasia, has predicted a convincing 4-0 home win over Congo on Sunday when they clash in the first leg of a CAF U23 Championship qualifier in Port Harcourt.
‘SiaOne’, as he is fondly called, said his team, nicknamed Dream Team VI, are fully prepared for victory as they take another step towards featuring at next year’s Olympics in Rio Janeiro, Brazil.
“We have been preparing hard for the game and I am sure we are going to win the game convincingly. I am looking at us getting like a 4-0 win, but victory is what we will play for,” said Siasia.
“We are making efforts to get their match tapes to know them better.
“The boys are in high spirit and ready for the task.”
Siasia will be without several of his foreign-based call-ups like Musa Mohammed, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon, but Turkey-based forward Umar Aminu, Taiwo Awoniyi and Godwin Saviour will be available for selection.
The effective combination of Awoniyi and Saviour was evident at last month’s FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand after they had also combined to eliminate Zambia in a 2015 All Africa Games qualifier.
However, Congo coach Claude Leroy is equally bullish ahead of this showdown after they eliminated highly-fancied Ghana in the previous round of the qualifiers
“We have a huge chance of not only eliminating Nigeria, but qualifying for the Olympics. There is no reason why we should fear them,” said the much travelled Frenchman, who last year led Congo full international team to shock the Super Eagles 3-2 in a 2015 AFCON qualifier.
Congo have invited a dozen foreign pros and will parade several full internationals including goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi, who was outstanding at this year’s AFCON as the Congo Red Devils reached the last eight in Equatorial Guinea.
The CAF U23 Championship will be staged by Senegal later this year and will serve as the qualifier for the 2016 Olympic football event.
