Playing At The Olympic As African Champions

Photo:iheanyiigboko.wordpress.com

The dream team have won the CAF U23 African Cup of nations. This means they have not just qualified for the Olympics, but will be playing at the Olympics as African Champions.

The task ahead is challenging particularly when countries that are not considered as football nations are now trying to live up to expectations. A country like USA for example started preparing their 2016 Olympic team since 2012, and will tend to surprise everyone at the Olympics. Not only in Basket Ball but also in soccer.

Coach Samson Siasia has gotten the Olympics experience, he finished runners up with the team at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and now he will be leading the team to the 2016 Olympic. Nigeria did not qualify for the 2012 edition, the main reason we have to take this edition serious.

As Champions of Africa, we will be expected to win matches even as underdogs, our greatest threats are South America countries, and Siasia must be prepared to employ tactical acumen and ensure that we beat them. In the Atlanta 1996 edition when we won the Olympics, Nigeria Beat Brazil in the semifinal to set up a place with Argentina in the final, which we eventually won. Hence, tactical alertness is very key.

I wish the dream team the best, but they must be willing to get the best and put a smile on the faces of Nigerians, who have already looked up to winning an Olympic gold in football for the second time.