U17 AFCON Nigeria Press Conference : Every Word On Guinea, Complaint By Senegal, Tough Group A & More

Nigeria U17 assistant coach Baruwa Olatunji and midfielder Mayowa Abayomi faced the cameras ahead of Wednesday's Africa U17 Cup of Nations semifinal showdown against Guinea at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam.

Here's every word Olatunji and Abayomi told reporters at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

How are you going into the match tomorrow?

BO: ''We have qualified for the World Cup, that one has already been accomplished, the second is Guinea. We have seen them how they play and we are going to approach them, we'll make sure we try not to concede a goal.''

Mayowa, you have talented players. You are going to meet equally talented players, physical players. What is your motivation going into the game?

MA : ''Tomorrow's game is the first semifinal against Guinea. I think going into the match tomorrow, Nigeria, we have what it takes to defeat Guinea and we'll play to our pattern.

''We are not going to give them the chance to plan and come at us. I think with us doing that we are going to defeat Guinea.''

You mentioned that you are going to be facing Guinea, does that mean you have been officially informed that the complaint made (by Senegal) against Guinea has failed. If not when were you actually given the information exactly who you are going to face in the semifinal. How does this affect your preparation?

BO: ''I don't think I have anything to say about it. The thing is Guinea qualified from the group so it is left to CAF to decide.''

MA : ''Like my coach has just said, it is left to CAF to decide that but technically we came first in our group which means we are going to play against the other opponent who came second which is Guinea.

''I am not aware of any protests concerning any team so we are facing Guinea.''

BO: ''We have been training, we don't care about anybody, we are waiting for anyone of them. We have been training since our last match, so we are preparing for the semifinal.''

What are your plans against the Guinean team, they are very physical and fast. How do you plan to face them?

BO: ''We have watched them and we have seen how they play. We play total football, power to power. We are very ready to match them, it is not about being physical, let's wait until tomorrow, we'll see ''

Coach, do you believe that Group A was the toughest group. Tanzania, Angola, Uganda?

BO : ''Yeah, our group was very, very tough. You see till the last match against Uganda, nobody knows who is going to qualify.

''If we lost that match against Uganda, it could have been another thing, you understand. The group was very tough and by the grace of God we came out as the leader so the group was tough.''

Your task of reaching the World Cup has happened. Now which players do you believe will be developed to such an extent there will be future players for the Nigerian National Team for many years to come?

BO : ''You know Nigeria is a football country and we have very talented players, some of them are here and we should be expecting for this team to be the future Super Eagles.''

You have qualified for the World Cup, is your aim in the competition to win the trophy?

MA : ''I think our first aim coming to Tanzania was to qualify for the World Cup and we have done that, so right now we getting to the semifinal, we have just one step to the final. So God's willing, we defeating Guinea and getting to the final, I think we are going to win the trophy.''

Ifeanyi Emmanuel