By Ben Efe

Nigeria’s Under-20 team the Flying Eagles will today in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania play their first competitive match under coach Manu Garba who won the FIFA under-17 world cup last year in the United Arab Emirate.

Garba, whose team lost 1-0 to their Benin Republic counterparts in their first ever international friendly match, is enthusiastic of making another triumphant run in the Under-20 category, most especially when  more than half of his squad are the boys who made the difference in the UAE. But how well they will go on this higher ground remained to be seen when they face a determined Tanzanian team nicked named Ngonrongoro Heroes.

The Tanzanians are prepared to create an upset to make amend for the 2012 loss to the Flying Eagles during the qualification for the 2013 tournament. The Flying Eagles under coach John Obuh beat the Tanzanians home and way to qualify for the AYC on a 3-1 aggregate.

However, coach Garba said that his team are in top shape to deny the Tanzanian lads a run for their money.
“We have respect for our opponents. But we are aiming for a win in Tanzania. The team is ready and we have the character to withstand any situation,” said coach Garba.

Yesterday, the Tanzanians who are banking on crowd support to cow the Flying Eagles, made life difficult for the Nigerian hopefuls as they refused them entry into the venue of the match to train. They were forced to warm up on a nearby artificial pitch.

The Assistant Coach, Nduka Ugbade, at a news conference on Saturday morning after the training, said that the team would not make the mistake of underrating their hosts.
“There are no longer small teams in the game. Sunderland defeated Chelsea in the EPL and little Togo qualified for the 2006 World Cup.

“It would therefore be foolish of us to come here believing we can overrun Tanzania, who we are told, like to play football,” Ugbade was quoted as saying.
The assistant coach said that except the incident at the stadium, everything was fine, adding that the team were very much at home in Tanzania.