Daily Independent (Lagos)
Pius Anakali
30 July 2011
When Flying Eagles files out in its first match against Guatemala today, the world’s attention will be focused more on the two-time finalist. Questions will be asked, some will be answered, while others may not. In this preview, PIUS ANAKALI delves into those areas touching on the essence of Nigeria’s participation in the championship while raising the hopes of Nigerians that the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup will live up to expectations.
On Friday, the 18th in the series of the FIFA- organised U-20 World Cup got underway in Colombia and, today, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, will file out against Guatemala in its first encounter in the competition.
While Nigerians expect a good result from the match, the question being asked is: Has Nigeria benefitted from the under-age competition? Has the nation’s performance over the years led to resurgence in Nigeria football?
These are some of the issues bothering the minds of discerning few, as Flying Eagles again returns to the world stage for yet another edition of the competition.
While there have been so many positives since Nigeria’s first participated in the competition, there is no doubting the fact that there have been instances when Nigerians have had cause to wonder where all went.
It is true that most Nigerian football stars of yore were discovered during youth competitions like this. In fact, Nigeria’s rise on the world ladder of sports was in a way propelled by successes achieved at the junior levels. And if viewed in term of players, Nigeria has few notables of them.
Apart from a worthy representative, Kanu Nwankwo, rose from the junior level to become one of the Nigeria’s best football exports ever. He is one of those who rose to prominence from this level of the game.
So also was Victor Ikpeba, whose prowess earned the title; the Prince of Monaco. Though he has since retired from the round- leather game, Ikpeba is still a force to be reckoned with in football. Jonathan Akpoboririe is one other player who also rose to the top from the cadet level. Mutiu Adepoju cannot be forgotten in a hurry and so is the famed Victor Igbinoba. These are players that shone like stars in the junior days up to the national level and still managed to get attention from within and outside the country.
Even as Nigeria boasts a pool of stars, so also it has a number of those whose light dimmed even before it started to shine.
Dimeji Lawal, Bella Momoh, Philip Osondu, Mike Onyemachara and Peter Ogaba, the youngest of his class . Nduka Ugbade reigned in his days but he was not particularly the star he was meant to be. Recently too, there was Rabiu Ibrahim. When this skillful player stormed the scene, he was hailed as the replacement for the mesmerising former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, but Rabiu Ibrahim is apparently still trying to find his feet.
He was described as the best thing to ever happen to Nigerian football and many expect that, by now, he should be rubbing shoulders with football great like Christiano Ronaldo, Messi, Fabrigas and all but he seems missing from the log. Chrisantus Macaulay played for the junior team in 2007 and was the highest goal scorer at the U-17 World Cup.
Lionel Messi was a product of youth competition too. In fact he played at the Holland 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Till date, the prolific Messi has two FIFA Player of the Year Awards to his credit. He is Barcelona most treasured player and Argentine national team one-man squad. But where is Mikel Obi, who was adjudged the second best player in 2005 behing Messi? And Taiye Taiwo? He just moved to AC Milan this season from Mersaille. Also he is not commanding the same limelight as Messi since they were all graduates of the youth championship in 2005.
There is also Chibuzor Okoronkwo and Isaac Promise. The duo is the reason why Samson Siasia’s list for Ghana friendly has been criticised. Simply put, they don’t merit invitation to the national team.
Yet, there are reasons to be expectant in today’s match. If history is anything to go by, then the Flying Eagles has what it takes to sail through the group where it has been paired with Croatia, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala.
Nigeria has made an African record eight appearances at the FIFA U-20 World Cup but never won the title. While the West African nation has produced world champions at Under-17 level on three separate occasions, it has yet to taste the same success in the older age category. That might be one of the motivations for success in Colombia this time around.
Flying Eagles has however come close to wining the cup when the team lost to Portugal in the 1989 final in Saudi Arabia. Sixteen years later in the Netherlands, Lionel Messi-inspired side was its nemesis.
This time around, so much is expected even though the team started slowly on the road to Colombia. It was beaten in one of its group games at the African Youth Championships in South Africa, but then confirmed its credentials with exciting wins over Mali and Cameroon in the semi-final and final of the eight- nation tournament.
With their success, Nigeria extended to six the number of times it has won the continental title. The backbone of the team comes from players who finished runners-up at the last FIFA U-17 World Cup on home soil in 2009. Players like Edafe Egbedi, Ramon Azeez and Terry Envoh, who came in as a substitute to score the winner in the final against Cameroon, have moved up from the FIFA U-17 World Cup squad to the Flying Eagles. These are the players carrying the hope of the nation.
Though the last few weeks have not been really enterprising as revealed by the tune-up matches ahead of the Championship, yet sceptical Nigerians still think that the Flying Eagles will go far in this competition. A feel of what the future holds in this competition would be revealed later today.
AllAfrica – All the Time