Africa
Cup Soccer 2000 scheduleSEMI-FINALS:Thursday, February 10, 2000
Africa
Cup Soccer 2000 schedule
SEMI-FINALS:Thursday, February 10, 2000
Match E: CAMEROON - TUNISIA (6.30pm GMT)
Match F:SOUTH AFRICA - NIGERIA (3.30pm GMT)
THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF: Saturday, February 12, 2000. LOSER E - LOSER
F (4.00pm GMT)
FINAL: Sunday, February 13, 2000
WINNER E - WINNER F (3.00pm GMT)
Sunday
Oliseh (in pix to the right), Nigeria's Super Eagles skillful
midfielder and new captain, has had an excellent record to show for
leading his country's team at the 22nd Nations Cup finals holding in
Lagos.
Apparently, the decision of the Nigeria Football Association to chose him as team leader and motivator, based on what they cited as his discipline, polish, leadership skills and intelligence, are well-founded. The young star of the international club Juventus led his team to the semi-finals against South Africa. He led the match which handed the north African country of Tunisia a 4-2 defeat in the opening Group D match on Sunday, January 23, 2000.
He told Reuters that "It's a great responsibility being the
captain of a team where everyone is a star." In deed, it's a
star-studded 22 man team. His colleague, Augustine "J.J" Okocha
(scorer of two goals against Tunisia) has also said that the Eagles
are determined to win the championship. "We have a very strong team
because most of the guys who played for Nigeria in Atlanta 1996
Olympics are still very much in this present team. So we are still
the same team except that two players are missing." Really, three.
Injured striker Daniel Amokachi, goalkeeper Dosu Joseph and former
captain Uche Okechukwu. He added that "I believe all of us in the
team now wants to win the Cup. It is very important that we achieve
that and with God on our side, we shall do it.... I hope we will be a
bit lucky and with God on our side we will be able to win this one".
With their winning ways and focus, the Eagles are set to fly to the
heights of another gold.
Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence Award, HABJ 1997,
is the Founder & Publisher of USAfricaonline.com,
The Black Business
Journal, and NigeriaCentral.com
NIGERIA soccer team at Africa Nations cup 2000
1-Ike Shorunmu (Besiktas, Turkey) 2-Gbenga Okunowo (Benfica, Portugal) 3-Celestine Babayaro (Chelsea, England) 4-Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England) 5-Emeka Ifejiagwa (Osasuna, Spain)
6-Taribo West (AC Milan, Italy) 7-Finidi George (Real Betis, Spain) 8-Mutiu Adepoju (Real Sociedad, Spain) 9-Jonathan Akpoborie (Vfl Wolfsburg, Germany) 10-Austin Okocha (Paris St Germain, France)
11-Garba Lawal (Roda JC Kerkrade, Netherlands) 12-Ndubuisi Egbo (Al Masry, Egypt) 13-Tijani Babangida (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands) 14-Emmanuel Amunike (Barcelona, Spain) 15-Sunday Oliseh (Juventus, Italy)
16-Efetobore Sodje (Luton Town, England) 17-Julius Aghahowa (Esperance, Tunisia) 18-Raphael Chukwu (Bari, Italy) 19-Benedict Akwuegbu (Graz AK, Austria) 20-Victor Ikpeba (Borussia Dortmund, Nigeria)
21-Godwin Okpara (Paris St Germain, France) 22-Murphy Akanji (Julius Berger)
Coach: Jo Bonfrere (Neherlands)
