Posted by By OSARETIN EMUZE on
With few days to start off the FIFA Under-20 tournament in Holland, a Swiss journalist, Silvanus Speranza, who is already in Holland for the World Youth Championship, has warned the Flying Eagles to purge themselves of any illusion of beating the almighty Brazil.
With few days to start off the FIFA Under-20 tournament in Holland, a Swiss journalist, Silvanus Speranza, who is already in Holland for the World Youth Championship, has warned the Flying Eagles to purge themselves of any illusion of beating the almighty Brazil.
Silvanus who spoke with Daily Sunsport said that it was astonishing to note that Flying Eagles coach Samson Siasia harbours no respect for the Brazilians as well as even tiny Switzerland and the deadly unknown Koreans.
"It's great that Nigerians are so confident that their team will beat Brazil but they have to give Brazil a modicum of respect," Silvanus said. 'I admire their courage but most times courage does not win matches. Like always, they appear not to respect any opponent.
But apart from Brazil, Nigeria should be wary of Switzerland with a bunch of very young home-based boys (only five players in the team are above the age of 20).
'Reality is that Brazil will always be Brasil; no reason to take them for granted; and that Korea is the great unknown. But since the last three years, the world has learnt that some great players have grown on the Asian soil, and the fact that we don't know them should make them even more dangerous.
'The Swiss team is one of the most experienced in the tournament, with eight regular players from the local top league and six foreign-based professionals of whom four are already part of the Swiss national team. Vonlanthen was together with Rooney, the youngest scorer at the Euro 2004 in Portugal. After a year on loan in Italy, he's now back to his club, Eindhoven.
Barnetta, a strong midfielder is back and performing with Hannover 96, after several months of injury. Zambrella was playing regularly with Brescia in Italy's Serie A, and the frightning Philipp Senderos has been replacing a man named Sol Campell during most of this season in the central defence of Arsenal and has just won the the English FA Cup with the Gunners. Though there are some internationally known players in the line-up, Switzerland is not relying on the so called stars."
Switzerland is reigning Under-17 European champions. It was almost exactly this team that won the title in 2003. Last year they reached the semifinals of the Under-20 Euro. They just beat Egypt in a preparatory match.
These few statements of what the Flying Eagles have to expect in Holland should be enough to let the alarm bells ring in the country.
'My advice to Samson Siasia is, Don't underrate any team. Not even the Koreans.