Nigeria’s U-20 team, the Flying Eagles will today resume camping ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals billed for Colombia from July 29 to August 20 this year.

Already, coach John Obuh has invited 38 players, including 11 overseas-based professionals, to this first phase of camping scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Flying Eagles, who toppled the Black Starlets of Ghana to become African champions for the sixth time at the recently concluded Africa Youth Championships in South Africa, will be hoping to also dethrone their West African neighbours at the World Cup.

Ghana won at the last edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup but won’t be in Colombia to defend their crown after failing to qualify from the African zone qualifiers.

The Flying Eagles have been handed what many regard as a fair group in Colombia with Croatia, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala as their first round opponents in Group D.

Record appearance

Nigeria has made an African record eight appearances at the FIFA U-20 World Cup but has never won the title which Ghana prides itself to be the only African country to have worn the crown.

The closest the Flying Eagles came to winning the coveted trophy was in 1989, losing 2-0 to Portugal in the final in Saudi Arabia, and again 16 years later in the Netherlands where they lost 2-1 to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.

Nigeria were also third in the old Soviet Union in 1985, with the current Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia also in that squad.

Colombia 2011 will be a fourth successive trip to the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals for Nigeria and Obuh who narrowly missed out on World Cup glory when his lads failed to lift the U-17 trophy when Nigeria hosted the championships two years ago, is keen on bettering his record.

“We will take the matches as they come. We are taking all the teams in the group seriously. Anybody that is competing in the world stage will always want to conquer, so we are going to the World Cup with the aim of winning,” Obuh said.

While Obuh had problems picking a full strength squad for the African championship, as so many Nigerian starlets already play overseas, with many clubs reluctant to release them for the championship in South America, he has equally added that no player will be forced to be part of his plans as he is ready to make best use of the players at his disposal.

The big occasions of World Cup 2011 is finally arrived with the moment of only four teams and three more games. With Sri Lanka beat with New Zealand in the first semi final of ICC World Cup 2011 at R.Premdaa Stadium, Colombo which will decide the first team to play in Final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 2nd April 2011.
Who have thought at the start of the tournament that New Zealand whose past six months record in subcontinent are so bad (they failed to make the final of a tri-series in Sri Lanka, were hammered 5-0 in India, and between those two beatings they were humiliated in Bangladesh, where they lost 4-0.) and yet will feature in last four team of the world cup but yet they manage to do so and that is more than a big thing for them. But they are not satisfied with it only and they like to get one more step closer to Cup that counts..
Sri Lanka has great bowling attack with L.Malinga, M.Muralitahran, A.Mendis and R.Herath in their armory. The main worries for Sri Lankans are there middle order which is yet to be tested in the tournament. Apart from top four others struggled whenever they go the opportunity during this tournament. Likes of C.Silva, T.Samarweera and A.Mathews has not got lots of opportunity in the middle orders and if New Zealand able to get pass top three quickly then they can fancy there chances to beat the favorite Sri Lanka.