Uchenna Ajah
8 November 2009
Golden Eaglets gaffer, John Obuh, has declared that his team have overcome initial nerves after they hit five goals past New Zealand's Kiwi in a round of 16 match at the Abuja National Stadium on Thursday night.
The Eaglets led 3-0 by the interval before completing the demolition job of the Steve Cain charges in the second half of a game Nigeria dominated completely from start to finish.
"We suffered from nerves earlier in the competition, but that is now in the past as we stay on course to successfully defend the World Cup," Obuh declared.
"The boys have convinced me once again that with better support from Nigerians, they will go places. But this is just the beginning of things to come. The journey is still far, so we go back to plan for our next game, which I hope will further convince Nigerians that we have a great team."
Nigeria will be firm favourites in their quarter-final clash against the talented Koreans in Calabar tomorrow, but the Eaglets must be wary of the Asians.
The clash between hosts and holders Nigeria, and Korea Republic at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, is also bound to be an intriguing clash of styles and football cultures when the fast-moving, team-oriented Koreans take on the improvisational and technically gifted Golden Eaglets.
The Eaglets are flying high on the crest of a wave of confidence. After drubbing the outgunned New Zealanders to the tune of 5-0 in their round-of-16 clash in the capital, there may well be a dangerous intoxication creeping into the Eaglets' camp. They, however, are not world-beaters yet and will face a far sterner test when the lively Koreans come calling. Stanley Okoro has been pulling the strings brilliantly in midfield and Sani Emmanuel has proven himself the purest supersub of these finals, scoring a pair against the Kiwis off the bench for John Obuh's talented outfit.
The Koreans, by contrast, needed penalties to win their tense and tight last-16 contest with Mexico. After trailing for the entirety of the second half in Bauchi, only a last-gasp goal from Kim Dong Jin brought the scores level and forced extra-time. In the end, the Asians hit all of their penalties in the shootout to win the day by the skin of their teeth. Scoring goals has been a problem for the Taeguk Warriors, but if they can manage to turn their many chances and good possession-game into goals in Calabar, the fancied Eaglets may well find themselves in a heap of trouble.
The winner of the contest will take on the victorious side from the Spain-Uruguay contest on 9 November in Kaduna in the semi-finals.
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