OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS: Eguaveon grows goose pimples

Nigeria’s under-23 coach, Austin Eguaveon and his assistants are increasingly coming under pressure to fetch Nigeria a ticket to the London 2012 Olympics, when they face other contenders in next month African qualifiers play off.

The fear of the unknown has gripped the coaches as they continue in their preparations for the qualification tournament, which was previously scheduled for Egypt, but has now been moved to Algeria due to political uncertainty in the land of the pharaohs. Camp sources disclosed that Eguaveon and his lieutenants became uneasy, following the Eagles ouster from the Nations Cup.

“We are preparing, but I won’t say for sure its been that easy for us in camp. The present condition Nigeria football is in has not helped matters,” said one of the team’s handlers during a phone chat.

But in Egypt, coach Hany Ramzy is optimistic despite the decision to move the eight-team African qualifying tournament for next year’s London Olympics from Egypt to Algeria.

“Playing the tournament in Algeria may be for the sake of our team. I hope we will be the tournaments’ champions there,” said the former Egyptian international.

Egypt’s Olympic team have drawn Group A of the eight-team African qualifying tournament, along with Cote’ d Ivoire, South Africa and Gabon. Group has Algeria, Morocco, Senegal and Nigeria.

The winners will qualify directly for the London Games. The runners up in the two groups will face each other for another place in the Olympics.

The losing team will still have a chance to qualify as they will face an Asian representative in a two-legged tie.