Kelechi Nwakali Confident Ahead Showdown With African Champs Mali

Golden Eaglets number 10, Kelechi Nwakali, has insisted they are not afraid of Mali, ahead of the final of the Fifa Under 17 World Cup against the African champs.

Of the 24 countries that participated at the 16th edition of the tournament, the Young Eagles are the only undefeated side, whereas Nigeria lost their final Group A fixture to Croatia as they took things easy after qualifying for the second round as group winners.

“ We respect Mali because they are the African champions but we are not afraid of them, ” Nwakali said in a chat with Fifa’s official Twitter page.

“We are the defending champions of the World Cup and that means we need to be respected too; we know that playing against Mali would not be an easy match but we are confident about our chances.

“The coach is the one that knows the secret of our success ; our job is to go out and play based on his instruction.”

The Golden Eaglets have never lost to an African team in three previous encounters at the Fifa Under 17 World Cup.