WAFU: Super Eagles ready for Africa — Coach Yusuf

The Super Eagles Assistant Coach, Salisu Yusuf, on Monday said the team was ready to confront any country in Africa no matter how tough the team is.

Yusuf made the assertion in an interview with our reporter while speaking on the team’s preparedness for West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup.

He said that his team would not only spring up surprises in the WAFU competition but use it as a preparatory ground to blend for the 5th African Nations Championship (CHAN) next year.

“Many of the players for CHAN are here and together playing as a team, so there is every tendency that we will emerge victorious.

“My players are ready and determined to humble any team or opponent in WAFU as a signal to CHAN opponents,’’ Yusuf said.

The coach, who expressed optimism in the ability of the team to take over West Africa in particular, called for total support of Nigerians.

WAFU Nations Cup is an association football competition that is contested by representative teams of WAFU.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are drawn alongside Ghana, Gambia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau and Mali.

The 16-nation soccer tournament which started from Sept. 9 and will end on Sept. 24 has two groups divided into zones A and B.

Zone A which is Nigeria’s group would be playing in Takoradi, the twin city of Sekondi that had hosted 2008 African Cup of Nations.

While all the teams that are in zone B like Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Republic of Benin, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Senegal and Liberia would be playing in Cape Coast.

Nigeria will on Sept. 11 face the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in their first knockout match.

It was reported that the Black Stars of Ghana on Sept. 9 defeated the Scorpions of Gambia to qualify for the next round of the WAFU Cup, while Guinea came from behind to trounce Guinea Bissau 2-1.