Flying Eagles’ captain, Daniel Bameiyi has revealed that he will be heading to this year’s African U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt with two targets in mind, Sports247 reports.
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Speaking ahead of the team’s impending flight to Egypt this weekend, for the last lap of their preparations for the competition, Bameiyi disclosed that he not only wants to qualify for the FIFA U20 World but also aspires to win the continental championship.
However, while also revealing that everyone in the youth national team has the same thoughts and plans with him, Bameiyi admitted that achieving their targets will not come easy in The Land Of The Pharaohs.
Bameiyi stated, “First thing first, we are preparing to get the World Cup ticket, but we also want to win the cup. But, this is football, and everyone can’t be champions. That’s why we are preparing very hard.
“I’ve been there before, and this time, we are going for the trophy. By so doing, once you win the trophy, you automatically get a World Cup ticket. So, that’s what we are going for.”
With the team back in Abuja, after three weeks of intensive training in Katsina, and now set for a week of final pre-competition drills in Cairo, Bameiyi reckoned that Coach Aliyu Zubairu’s side are getting the best plans ahead of the potentially explosive championship.
“We are preparing very hard to win that tournament. We know that no country will be a walkover, so we are preparing to come up against each tough team. This is football. So, we have to expect the unexpected.
“That’s why we are preparing so hard. We are fully motivated, we are together, and we are brothers; but not everybody will make the trip. We are to travel with 21 players but, as far as we are concerned, whether you are dropped or going with the team, we are all together,” Bameiyi philosophised.
Following a retaken draw for the championship, due to Cote d’Ivoire’s exit from being hosts, the Nigerian team will now tango Tunisia, Kenya and Morocco in Group B, with their first match coming up on April 28th against the youths from Tunis.
