The Sun News On-line

Flying Eagles’ Coach Ladan Bosso and his assistant, Ben Iroha, have declared total war against the Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal in today’s return leg of the Africa Youth Championship (AYC) qualifier.

Both sides met penultimate weekend at the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta with the Nigerian lads carrying the day with a 2–0 scoreline.

In an exclusive chat with Saturday Sunsport before the team jetted out of the country on Thursday for the clash, Bosso said the Flying Eagles were not going to Dakar to defend the two goals they scored in the first leg tie, rather, they would attack the Junior Lions right inside their den.
“We are not going to Senegal to defend the two goals we scored in the first leg encounter. We are going to attack them right from the blast of the whistle,” he roared.

“We are aware that the Senegalese are going to come out smoking looking for early goals to turn the table against us. The best form of defence is attack and that is exactly what we intend to do,” Bosso explained.

In a separate interview, Bosso’s assistant, Ben Iroha, disclosed that the players have been adequately psyched up for the battle in Dakar.
“We are going for total war. We have been talking to the players at training since after the first leg on the battle that awaits us in the return leg. So they already know what to expect in Dakar and they are ready for it.”

Both coaches sounded confident that the Flying Eagles would triumph at the end of the day and progress to the next round of the qualifiers for the AYC next year in Rwanda.
“We have worked on the mistakes we noticed in the first leg encounter and the players are in high spirit. I think they approached the first leg with overconfidence and almost paid for it,” Bosso reasoned.

“Now, those of them who were in the victorious Golden Eaglets’ squad know they must be serious if they must be part of the team,” he stated.
“It’s going to be a different ballgame in Dakar. The players were a bit too casual in the first leg. They probably underrated the Senegalese because they won the FIFA Under-17 World Championship,” Iroha added.

“Now they know they have to play like true world champions to overcome the Senegalese in Dakar. And I can assure you that they are ready for war. And by the grace of God, we’ll come back victorious,” he assured.

Golden Boot award winner, Chrisantus Macauley, has been ruled out of today’s clash due to the knock he picked up in the first leg tie in Abeokuta, and Bosso has assured that his absence would not tell on the team.

He banks on striker, Kabiru Akinsola, who came in his place and justified his entry with one of the two goals against the Junior Lions in their first leg encounter.
Other players expected to give the Senegalese full hands today are mercurial midfielder, Rabiu Ibrahim, captain, Haruna Lukman, strikers Ganiyu Oseni and Ademola Raphael as well as defender, Alfa.

The match will kick off at 7.00pm Nigerian time.