Flying Eagles settle At Garden Court HotelTHERE is no past form to anoint any side as favourites for the crown, but the reputations carried by Nigeria and Ghana will make them the most watched.Ghanas U-20 side won both the last African Youth Championship and FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009, leaving this generation of Black Satellites a hard task to live up to.Nigeria dominated the event in the 1980s but have only won the continental U-20 title once in the last ten tournaments. That was in 2005 when the generation led by John Obi Mikel dominated proceedings. Of the other competitors, Egypt has three past titles to their name and Cameroon has won once.Musa Ahmed was the top scorer in the Nigeria Premier League last year and is now at Dutch club VVV Venlo. He has already been capped at senior level, as is the case with defender, Terna Suswan.Ghana were unable to get Jordan Ayew released for the tournament but have a sparkling striker in Kwame Amponsah-Karikari, who is based in Sweden.Egypts squad includes several rising stars from the countrys domestic league, including Al Masry goalkeeper, Ahmed El Shenawy and striker Mohamed Salah from Arab Contractors.Cameroon has picked Barcelona junior, Armand Ella Ken, in their 23-man squad.Lesotho is seeking to emulate a feat achieved by Rwanda at the U-17s earlier this year by qualifying for their first-ever FIFA tournament.The hosts will also be hoping to figure in the reckoning in front of their own supporters. My players are committed to playing for their country. They have done well in our preparations and showed character. We are ready for this tournament, South Africa coach, Maqsood Chenia said recently.Meanwhile, Nigeria U-20 mens team have settled well into their Garden Court Hotel in Johannesburg after arriving aboard an Arik Air flight from Lagos yesterday morning. The hotel is not far from the Oliver Tambo International Airport.Organizers had earlier announced that the eight participating teams would stay at the Southern Sun Grayston, but the plan has changed and that hotel is now for officials of CAF and the Confederations guests.Champions of Africa five times previously, the Class of 2011 know they have a mountain to surmount in a Group B that includes world champions Ghana, Cameroon and The Gambiaall with remarkable pedigree in youth football.The Nigeria Football Federation had sent its Assistant General Secretary (Competitions), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi ahead on Wednesday to take possession of the teams accommodation and transport and generally ensure arrangements on ground are flawless for the 1989 and 2005 world vice champions.Everything is okay here and I can assure the team is comfortable. We have been holding a number of meetings since Friday afternoon, all to ensure that no detail is left unattended to. I can also confirm that the team is in very high spirit, said Sanusi on phone from Johannesburg, shortly after the conclusion of the Team Welcome meeting.NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari is set to join the team tomorrow ahead of its first match of the campaign against reigning African and world champions Ghana at the Rand Stadium on Monday afternoon.The Flying Eagles will also play against Cameroon on Thursday and against The Gambia on Sunday to round up their campaign in Group B. All four semi finalists of the two-week, eight-team finals will represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia later in the year.
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