As Nigeria’s youth national team, Flying Eagles prepare to tango Norway in their first match at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, an ex-international, Taiwo Oloyede has charged them to avoid repeating the disaster that befell their 1987 predecessors in the same South American country.
Sports247 recalls that the Flying Eagles’ squad that stormed Chile in 1987 was loaded with highly promising stars of that era – like Etim Esin, Adeolu Adekola, Willy Okpara, Sanni Adamu, Jonathan Akpoborie, Ikpomwosa Omoregie, Thompson Oliha, Peter Nieketien, Nduka Ugbade and John Eneh Okon, with Chris Uzemezue as coach.
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However, against all expectations, the squad placed last in Group B – after losing 4-0 to Brazil in their opening match, then drew 2-2 with Canada in their second and fell 2-0 to top-placed Italy in the decisive last game of round one in Ascension.
With the Nigerian youth national team now back in the same country 32 years later, Taiwo Oloyede recalled memories of the Flying Eagles’ infamous show at Chile ’87 and stressed that the current squad must not allow that ugly part of history repeat itself for their nation.
The former midfielder, who missed playing in the Saudi ’89 bronze-winning squad due to injury, recalled: “The Chile ’87 team was one of our best squads in under-20 history, but they got there and were messed up.
“This team must remember that part of history so that, now that they are in the same country, they must not allow complacency to affect them.”
Oloyede, who starred for IBWA FC, Stationery Stores FC and Julius Berger FC of Lagos, as well as BCC Lions of Gboko during his heyday, but had two botched deals that stopped him from plying his trade in Europe, added that the U20 Eagles must not be overwhelmed by their 3-1 victory over Australia in their last build-up match.
Oloyede reasoned further, “They must not be carried away, and they just have to go all out to rewrite history this year. Chile ’87 was a disgrace for Nigeria, and we don’t want a repeat of that this year.
“We have not seen much of this team, but they should just complement the result of their last friendly. They must avoid bringing back to Nigeria what we saw at Chile ’87.”
He concluded by expressing confidence in the ability of Coach Aliyu Zubairu to conjur a winning formula for his highly promising squad, whose first match will be this Monday against Norway at Estadio Fiscal deTalca.
“Although they have brought in so many new players, in believe in the coach, and I know he can make his players do well. So, I’m wishing them the best of luck,” concluded Oloyede, who started his coaching career at Eko Akete FC of Lagos.
