Flying Eagles

SUPERSPORT.COM
Head coach of Nigeria’s Under20 football team, John Obuh has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of his side’s Africa Youth Championship (AYC) qualifying game against South Africa’s Under20 side, the Amajita.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been drawn against South Africa in the final round of qualifying for the AYC and Obuh is keen to see his wards exact revenge against the Amajita and book a place at the 2013 AYC in Algeria.

The Flying Eagles lost 0-1 to South Africa in an eight-nation invitational tournament in May with Obuh blaming the loss on the Lesotho referee, O’ Koto for unfairly aiding the Amajita.

“We do not have to win these games at all costs and the referees should be told so.

"The South African player was offside clearly and the goal should not have stood South Africa pressed us but they did not need the assistance of the referee to win this game,” an angry Obuh had said after that game.

With the stakes now clearly higher, the experienced gaffer wants a solid performance from his wards over two legs against the highly-rated South Africans.

”We know them well having played against them three months ago but we know they will be changed from the last time we met. We will treat them with the respect they deserve but we know how important it is to qualify for the AYC and we will be giving it our best shot,” Obuh told SuperSport.com.

South Africa have a rich pedigree at this level of football having qualified for the AYC on five previous occasions as well as reaching the finals of the Fifa Under20 World Cup twice in 1997 and 2009.

The 2013 AYC will hold between March 16 and 30 in Algeria.