Golden Eaglets head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back from their defeat to Niger Republic as Nigeria prepare for a crucial encounter against Côte d’Ivoire in the WAFU-B U17 Championship.
Nigeria face the Ivorians on Saturday in a must-win fixture after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic on Wednesday, leaving their qualification hopes hanging in the balance.
Speaking at a press conference at Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Friday, Uwejamomere urged his players to remain calm and focused, drawing inspiration from previous editions of the competition when Nigeria recovered from opening-match defeats to secure qualification.
The coach recalled that the Golden Eaglets lost their opening matches at the 2018 and 2021 editions of the WAFU-B U17 Championship but managed to bounce back and qualify.
“We had a setback in the game against Niger Republic, but we are in great spirit to overcome it as we play Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday,” Uwejamomere said.
He acknowledged the pressure surrounding the encounter but stressed that his technical crew had studied the Ivorians and identified their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the decisive clash.
“It is a dicey situation. We are calm and reminding the players of how we want to play. We have analysed Côte d’Ivoire, how they play, their strengths and weaknesses,” he added.
Uwejamomere admitted that the must-win nature of the match would bring some pressure, but insisted that maintaining composure and self-belief would be crucial to securing the desired result.
“There is just a little bit of pressure because it is a must-win game for Nigeria. So, we have to keep the players composed and believing in themselves, knowing that we can get the result we need.
“The Ivorians are a very good side. They can fight, but we also have to fight and show them how much we want the victory. We know what we have to do to beat them. I’m confident,” he concluded.
The Golden Eaglets’ defeat to Niger Republic has made Saturday’s encounter decisive, while Côte d’Ivoire head into the contest with one point after drawing their own match against the Nigeriens.
With qualification at stake, Nigeria will be looking to turn their coach’s confidence into a much-needed victory against the Ivorians.
