Nigeria’s U23 football team popularly
referred to as the Dream team is expected to resume camping later this month
the spokesman of the team has confirmed. The Samson Siasia led side has been on
break since they defeated Zambia
in an All Africa Games qualifier to advance to the football event of the games
in September.
As part of the preparation for the
Olympic Games qualifiers which will hold in July where Nigeria will meet the winners of the second
round qualifiers between Ghana
and Congo.
The media officer of the Dream Team,
Timi Ebikagbaro, confirmed that the team will converge again on May 25 in Abuja to begin
preparations for the third round tie.
The team’s media officer emphasised
that players that would be selected for the up coming qualifiers would be those
that can add vitality to the team’s fortunes.
“Players who have not measured up
will be dropped for those who can add value to the team.
“In addition to that the coach
(Samson Siasia) intends to have a look at some overseas-based professional
players to observe those who can bolster the squad,” he concluded
The Dream Team is currently riding
on a crest of optimism after a back to the walls victory over Zambia in the
AAG qualifiers. (Winning away 1-2 in the second leg in Lusaka
after a goalless draw in Kaduna)
With the prospects of facing Ghana in July if the Ghanaians overcome Congo, the Dream team is heading to the same
route they took when they qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics where they
also had to beat Ghana.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the football
event of the 2012 London Olympics after a team lead by Austin Eguavoen could
not advance beyond the group stages of the U23 Championship held in Morocco
in 2011.
That team was shunned of key players
after their various European clubs refused to release them for the tournament,
a situation that weakened the side. The likes of Lukman Haruna, Ahmed Musa,
Anthony Ujah, Odion Ighalo and other players were refused permission by their
respective clubs as the tournament did not fall within FIFA’s calendar.
If Samson Siasia’s team overcomes their
opponent in July, they will book a place for the CAF-U23 Championship that
would hold in Senegal
from 5-19 December, 2015.
The top three teams from the eight
participating nations will qualify for the Rio Olympics in Brazil come
2016.
Nigeria has a strong pedigree in the
football event of the Olympic Games after winning a gold medal at the 1996
Atlanta Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Photo Credit: Completesportsnigeria
