Daily Trust (Abuja)
Abiodun Jimoh
3 November 2009
Lagos — Coach Dan Ryser of Switzerland team has predicted a down fall for Germany team when both teams meet today (Wednesday) at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos in the second round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup holding in Nigeria.
Ryser who has guided his youthful team to an exciting second round game at the expense of the tournament favourite Brazil whom they eliminated from the championship as a result of their last game victory over the Samba boys in Abuja last week made this pronouncement.
Speaking with Trustports in Lagos, Ryser claimed that though they would be playing against their compatriot from Europe who happened to be the winner of the EUFA European U-17 championship, but they would go same way as Brazil at the end of the 90 minutes encounter.
"We fear no team as far as this championship is concerned, because our team have come a long a way in reaching this stage despite been regarded as underdogs due to our maiden participation at the event. We have proved the record wrong that things have changed in the round leather game as minnows are no more in the game," he said.
"So as for our game against Germany that qualified as one of the best losers, we shall deal with them accordingly just as we dealt with Brazil in Abuja in our last group "B" game. They are familiar foe in Europe, though they are the continent champion after defeated Netherland in the final of the qualifiers early this year," he admitted.
Speaking further, he stressed that being back in Lagos would give his team the needed confidence to eliminate the Germans having being familiar with the weather and the stadium turf where they played their first two group games against Mexico and Japan respectively and won. He added that 90 minutes would justify his promise for quarterfinal slots.
Similary, he affirmed that his team would be banking on the total support enjoyed from the Lagos fans whom he described as the brain behind the team success in their prevous two games held at the Teslim Balogun. Also that the climate has become part of the players having stayed in the city for about two weeks now.
"We are very familiar playing at the stadium, the pitch is fantastic and to mention clearly, Lagos fans have contributed immensely to our success by given us the adequate support in our two matches in the city. They were so wonderful and demonstrated love towards our team, it was based on this that my players in return gave away their jerseys as mark of saying thank you for your support after our game with Japan last week," he said.
It could be recalled that Germany in group "A" claimed the first semifinal berth at the UEFA U-17 Championship clinching the region's first spot for Nigeria 2009 by virtue of a 3-1 win against Turkey and a comprehensive 4-0 win over England while in Group A, Switzerland locked up the top spot along with a semifinal berth and trip to the '09 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but lost in the semifinal pairing against the Netherland who beat them 2-1.
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