There is so much to play for since a win for either side would guarantee a berth into the semi finals and a ticket for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile. Of course, there is the undercurrent since the Guineans would seek to avenge their twin loss to their Nigerian counterparts on the road to the last championship in Morocco following a 3-0 and 4-0 win in Calabar and Conakry respectively.
"I don't want you to have the erroneous belief that we are the world champions as most commentators always say," Coach Emmanuel Amuneke warned his wards against complacence ahead of the crucial encounter.
"Yes, Nigeria is the world champion at this level but we have to create our own history by winning something; the past is gone." Amuneke who was an assistant coach the last time in Morocco, has every reason to be wary after the Golden Eaglets stumbled and lost 1-0 to Cote d'Ivoire in their second game despite a 6-1 massacre of Ghana earlier.
"We are not getting carried away after the victory against Niger because we know Guinea can be tricky after watching them against Zambia," noted Amuneke.
He has also reminded the players about the task ahead, urging them to
be watchful of the crafty West Africans: "We came here with one
objective: To qualify for the World Cup in Chile and after
that we can begin to talk about other things. You can see that if you
allow them, they can play but if you follow our instructions, we would
all have reason to celebrate on Wednesday after the game."
Already, the Nigerian camp has indentified gifted number 11-shirted
Abddoulaye Jules Keita as the lynchpin in the Guinean line-up as well
as Captain Mohammed Mary Kurume who holds forth in defence, not
forgetting agile goalkeeper, Mousa Camara, who foiled Zambia
repeatedly on Sunday.
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