Nigeria’s under-23 male football team will have a good outing against Tanzania on Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Youth and Sports Development Minister Sunday Dare said on Wednesday in Ibadan.
The minister expressed this hope after a novelty match between the under-23 team and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Reports show that the team has been camping in Ibadan ahead of Saturday’s match against Tanzania.
NAN reports that the team will head to Tanzania on Thursday for the first leg clash in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Under-23 qualifiers against Tanzania.
Dare expressed hope that the team would have a good outing, urging the players to exhibit their skills in a ruthless manner to secure victory in the game.
The minister said the match against 3SC was an important experiment, considering Ibadan as an historic city and 3SC’s household name in continental football.
“Nigeria is a football-loving country. Even Mr President (Muhammadu Buhari) said that football is our asset and national pride. These young ones should know they’re carrying the pride of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.
Similarly, the Nigerian under-23 male national football team, Salisu Yusuf, expressed the hope of a good outing in Tanzania in spite of the team’s late preparations.
He disclosed that 23 out of the 30 players in camp would be travelling to Tanzania for the game.
The coach said three of the players would miss the first leg of the game due to minor injuries.
He said they have done enough scouting of their opponents’ last games through a video tape, expressing the hope of a fine outing in Tanzania.
Also, Gbenga Ogunbote, the 3SC Coach, said the under-23 team have a very good team, even as he said “though, there are still some areas to cover”.
He said while their preparation for the match was short, the team was still good enough to catch up with time.
Ogunbote also expressed hope that the team would have an impressive outing against their Tanzanian counterparts.
The second leg of the game would be played at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Oct. 29. Read more.
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