Ahead of the opening ceremony of this year’s African U20 Cup of Nations this weekend in Egypt, Nigeria’s youth national team, Flying Eagles have been hit with a stern warnig by Kenya’s captain, Amos Wanjala, who disclosed that he and his colleagues are motivated 100% to win the trophy.
Read Also: Mikel Obi Should Have Won Africa’s Best Player Award In 2012 – Yaya Toure
Sports247 reports that, while Kenya’s lads are considered minnows in the African youth football terrain, Amos Wanjala believes they can ruffle many feathers at this impending competition, which will serve as qualifiers for the FIFA U20 World Cup.
Incidentally, Kenya’s Rising Stars are pooled alongside Nigeria, Tunisia and Morocco in Group B of this year’s competition, qualification from which many observers see as an impossible task for the East Africans, but Wanjala insists they have what it takes to shock their more prestigious rivals.
The defender from third-tier Athletic Club Torrellano of Spain enthused that the Rising Stars’ early arrival in Egypt before the kick-off has helped him and his colleagues become fully focused on the task ahead of them, while also pointing out that they are now more united as a squad capable of making history in The Land Of The Pharaohs.
Wanjala boasted, “I am positive, 100% positive coming here. Despite the different climate, change of weather, change of place and environment, it’s all good for us. It’s part of our preparation.
“It will help us have a good final preparation and for the team to bond and gel. Before the matches begin, we need to make sure that we will be ready for the competition.”
Wanjala concluded by emphasising that all the Kenyan players are fully motivated to not only pick a World Cup ticket but also win the U20 AFCON trophy, towards which he further that he has personally redoubled his leadership roles in order to inspire them to glory.
“The mood is 100% positive. Most of the time, when I’m with my teammates, as a leader, I usually remind them about what we are here for. We are here to qualify for the World Cup and try to be champions of the U20 AFCON. It really means a lot to us.
“For me, it’s very important to make sure my teammates concentrate very well on what we are here for. We will just keep focusing day-by-day, match-by-match. That is the most important thing,” the Kenya under-20 squad’s skipper posited.
Sports247 reports further that Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will battle Kenya in their second group match next weekend after opening their campaign against Tunisia on Wednesday, then play Morocco in the third pool game.
