Eaglets good for gold, says Rufai

Peter Rufai

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai is backing the  Golden Eaglets to beat Mexico and win the coveted FIFA U-17 World Cup for a record fourth time on Friday.

Nigeria defeated Sweden 3-0 in the semi-final on Tuesday to set up a rematch with the Mexicans, who advanced to the final after thrashing Argentina 3-0 in their semi-final clash.

The finalists had first met in Group F as Nigeria defeated the cup holder 5-1 in their opening game.

“The way the Eaglets are playing proves they can go all the way. I think they are good enough to win the tournament,” Rufai said.

“They had a fine game against Uruguay, and Sweden were not an easy side. If they continue this way, anything is possible.”

Rufai declined to mention any particular player for special attention, saying all the players had impressed and deserved special focus.

“What is important, however, is to make sure we do everything possible to keep the team together. There are some players in the team that are bound to go far in football; if they can display this level of skill at this age, then they have a lot to offer Nigeria as they develop in the game,” he said.

The Golden Eaglets will be gunning for a record high score in the tournament after scoring 23 goals in the run to the final.

The highest number of goals in the competition was by Germany in 2011 when they finished third with 24 goals to their name.