By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s home-based senior men’s team will seek victory over hosts Zanzibar on Thursday in the second of a two-match programme arranged to put the Super Eagles B in competition mood ahead of the 8th African Nations Championship kicking off on Saturday.
Zanzibar is hardly known when it comes to football and sports generally.
Yet, the country’s Football team held Nigeria to a scoreless draw in the two teams’ first game played at the Mau Stadium – located in the centre of Zanzibar – on Monday.
The Nigerian team dominated Monday’s game all-round, with superior ball possession and attempts on goal.
They created a plethora of chances but the Zanzibar rearguard worked overtime to keep the scoreline barren.
Adedayo Olamilekan, Hadi Haruna, Sikiru Alimi and Harrison Tochukwu were impressive in a game in which goalkeeper Ozoemena Ani, captain Nduka Junior, Leonard Ngenge, Abdulrafiu Taiwo, Sodiq Ismaila, Ijoma Anthony, Harrison Ozondu, Akanni Qudus, Taofeek Otaniyi, Godwin Obaje, Jabbar Malik and Shola Adelani also featured.
Thursday’s encounter, also scheduled for the Mau Stadium, comes five days before Nigeria’s first match of the competition – a clash with Cup holders Senegal – at Zanzibar’s 15,000-capacity Amaan Stadium.
Nigeria will then confront Sudan in their second match of the group phase (also at the Amaan Stadium) on Tuesday, 12th August before concluding their group D campaign against Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, 19th August.
The four-week, 19-nation finals have encamped five teams in groups A, B and C, with only Nigeria’s group D having only four teams. Other venues for the competition are the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and the Nyayo National Stadium (both in Nairobi, Kenya), and the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.
