Neymar Dreams Brazil, Argentina Copa America Final

Brazil forward Neymar said he hopes Argentina will be their opponents in the Copa America final and has no doubts that the hosts would come out on top against their fierce rivals.

Brazil beat Peru 1-0 in early Tuesday’s semi-final in Rio de Janeiro thanks to a 35th minute goal from Lucas Paqueta to book their spot in Saturday’s decider at the Maracana Stadium.

“I want Argentina, I am cheering them on,” Neymar said with a smile. “I have friends there and in the final Brazil will win,” reports Reuters yesterday.

The last time the two sides met in a Copa America final was in 2007, when Brazil won 3-0 in Venezuela, and a title match between the arch rivals would be a treat for the neutrals.

It would not only pit the tournament’s only unbeaten teams against each other it would also be a showdown between two of the best No. 10s in the game, former Barcelona team mates Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Both players have had an exceptional tournament so far, with Neymar recording two goals and three assists, while Messi has four goals and four assists.

Brazil are reigning champions and have home advantage at a tournament that was supposed to be co-hosted by Argentina and Colombia.

Colombia was stripped of hosting rights due to a wave of civil unrest and Argentina pulled out at the last minute because of a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Neymar missed Brazil’s Copa America triumph on home soil two years ago but inspired them to the 2013 Confederations Cup as well as Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Messi, meanwhile, has won everything with his club Barcelona but nothing with Argentina, who are aiming to win a first major title since the 1993 Copa America.

Tread Softly, Ex-International, Kingsley Onye, Counsels Siasia

Femi Solaja

Former team-mate of Samson Siasia in the Flying Eagles, Kingsley Onye, has advised him to maintain a quiet disposition in the aftermath of the latest ruling in his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

Siasia, a former Super Eagles striker and later coach of both the Under-23 as well as the national team has had his initial life ban by FIFA reversed to a five-year ban but has made public utterances accusing sports administrators and close friends of neglecting him.

In the aftermath, the Nigerian sports ministry came out outlining behind-the-scenes assistance it offered to raise funds for the embattled former coach to appeal at CAS.

Onye, based in the UK advised Siasia to keep mute as public statements on the issue are more injurious than serving him any good.

Both Siasia and Onye were members of the 1985 set of the Flying Eagles that placed third in the U-20 World Cup held in the former Soviet Union.

They have been friends since. Onye, who is better known as ‘Mature’ regarded Siasia as the best football material to have come from Nigeria, having played for and coached Nigerian teams at both youth and senior levels.

“That he was part of the Nigerian Flying Eagles that won bronze in the U20 World Cup in 1985 and also played at both the World Cup as well as the Olympics and also leading the country to an impressive podium finish at both 2008 and 2016 Olympics are worthy of commendation,” remarked Onye.

He however berated Siasia for extravagance and sometimes youthful exuberance in public statements. He pleaded with the sports ministry to let sleeping dog lie as public exchange of statements “will not do good to both Siasia and Nigerian sports in general.”

Onye noted that Siasia’s statement may have emanated from frustration which induced the anger and outburst.

He said that there should be conscious efforts to raise Siasia’s morale owing to his previous services to the nation and the fact that he could still be useful to Nigeria after the expiration of his five-year ban in 2023.

Governments should make efforts at redeeming our sportsmen’s image and attempt to sooth their pains, Onye further argued while thanking the Federal Government for still honouring the housing pledge to the 1994 class of the Super Eagles.

On that, he commended Governor Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for the three-bedroom flat given to Chioma Ajunwa who is Nigeria’s first and only individual Olympic gold medallist to date.

“This is even more remarkable as Ajunwa is not from Lagos State,” Onye concluded.