The Nigerian U-23 team football team to
the 2016 Olympic Games have been in the news for the past 48 hours for
all the wrong reasons, and when they walk into the Arena da Amazônia in
Manaus to take on Japan there will be no favourites tag for the Samson
Siasia-led team.
The Dream Team VI are African Champions.
They are statistically favourites to win their opening match on Friday –
against Japan, who won the U-23 AFC on the back of a rollercoaster
performance against Macau, Vietnam and Malaysia, scoring 10 goals
without conceding.
But Nigeria, after an embarrassing delay
in Atlanta where the team went for preparations ahead of the
competition, will arrive Brazil hours before the game against an Asian
side known for their fast-paced football.
The two victories Nigeria had against
the Japanese in the 1996 Olympics at Atlanta (2-0) and Beijing 2008
(2-1) may be nothing but statistics. The Samurai Blue can just pull a
repeat of the Mexico 1998 Games where they trounced the Nigerians 3-1.
Still, Nigeria are no pushovers. With
the experience of skipper John Mikel Obi in the midfield and goalkeeper
Daniel Akpeyi, the Dream Team can stop the forays of the Asians.
Turkish Yeni Malatyaspor’s winger
Azubuike Okechukwu, 19, also offers much needed expertise in front
having won 19 international caps for his country.
Arsenal’s 21-year-old striker Takuma
Asano will lead Japan’s strike force beside Urawa Red Diamonds’ Shinzo
Koroki and defenders Hiroki Fujiharu and Tsukasa Shiotani.
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