Rizespor of Turkey midfielder, Azubuike Okechukwu is leading the battle cry for Nigeria’s under-23 national team, Olympic Eagles, as he says it is a ‘must-win’ match and declared that all players in the squad are fired up to get victory away to Sudan on Thursday, megasportsarena.com reports.
Heading into the first leg of their final lap in the qualifiers for the third Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt, Azubuike admitted it will be a tough game in Omdurman, but stressed that the Nigerian lads want to qualify for the continental championship, from which they stand a chance of reaching next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaking after the arrival of Nigeria’s squad of 18 players and 12 officials landed at Khartoum International Airport aboard an Ethiopian Airline around 12am, Azubuike declared that the U23 Eagles hope to beat Sudan away, in order to make the reverse fixture a formality next Tuesday at Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.
The squad were informed on arrival that they will have to watch out for Sudan’s dangerman, Al Hilal FC striker, Walaa Eldin Musa, who has already been capped by the North African country’s senior national team, and is expected to be the hosts’ linchpin in the game, which starts 6pm Nigeria time at Omdurman Stadium, about 25 kilometers outside the capital city, Khartoum.
The 19-year-old Musa, who is widely regarded as the future of Sudan football, is cited as a fast, physically endowed and exuberant lad with a keen eye for goal, which he proved in the CAF Champions League with his club and during the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) with his country, then recently scored twice for Al-Hilal in the Arabian Championship.
The Nigerian squad have also been reminded about how Sudan stopped the under-20 national team, Flying Eagles from qualifying for the 2017 African championship, but Azubuike insists he and his colleagues will not let that part of history repeat itself, as he vowed that they are determined to reach the U23 AFCON in Egypt in November.
With that target in mind, Azubuike said they are in Sudan for a ‘must-win-match,’ from which he hopes they will get the desired result, and promised that he and his colleagues will go all out for victory to ensure the second leg becomes easier to prosecute.
Azubuike told SCORENigeria: “We are pleased to be in Sudan ahead of the must-win match against the Sudanese team. We hope to win the match so as not to play under any form of pressure in the return leg in Asaba. As a team, we know it is only victory that can ensure our qualification to Olympics.”
