The Nigeria Football Federation says it has a sense of
satisfaction for organizing the high –profile friendly against Brazil for the
U23 National Team and for also enlisting the team for the Four –Nation
Invitational Tournament in Suwon, Korea Republic where the team played against
Korea, Denmark and Honduras ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Hon.
Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande noted on Tuesday that all four teams that the Nigeria
U23 played against (Brazil, in Vitoria on March 24 and; Denmark,
Honduras and Korea, at the Suwon Tournament early June) reached the quarter
–finals of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 alongside Nigeria.
"Looking back, flying the team all the way to Brazil for the
friendly in Vitoria on March 24 (which Nigeria won 1-0) and to the
Suwon Tournament in Korea has proved sensible. The results in Suwon may not
have been what we expected, but it gave the team good idea of what to expect at
the Olympics and the Danish team that walloped our boys 6-2 in one of their
matches eventually turned out to be opponents for the quarter final match,
which our boys won 2-0.
"The importance of getting our teams to play international
friendlies and at invitational tournaments can never be over –emphasized. Today,
Nigeria, Brazil and Honduras are in the semi finals of the Olympics. When we
qualify for the final, our opponents (whether Brazil or Honduras) will be
familiar foes, which is an advantage."
At the Suwon Tournament, the Nigeria Olympic team also lost
1-2 to Korea Republic but came back from one goal down to defeat Honduras 3-1
in their last match.
Brazil take on Honduras in the first semi final at the
Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, before the Nigeria U23
confront Germany at the Corinthians Arena starting from4pm (8pm Nigeria
time).
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