NIGER is less than a week away from hosting the 21st edition of the Total Under-20 African Cup of Nations 2019.
“It will be an African party for two weeks! The State of Niger has made every effort to ensure that the work requested by CAF is carried out in the norms. This concerns the renovation of the stadia and the construction of two training grounds on the second site in Maradi”, Djibril Hima Hamidou, president of the Football Federation of Niger (FENIFOOT), told cafonline.com.
Niger benefits from the experience gained during the organisation of the Under-17 AFCON in 2015. Group A matches will take place in front of the 35,000-seat Seyni Kountché stadium in Niamey. Group B will evolve in Maradi in front of 10,000 potential spectators.
“The goal for us is to qualify for the Under-20 World Cup in Poland in 2020 and, why not, winning the tournament at home. Our players do not evolve in Europe but all come from our national centres. For three years, we have been following this generation that had the chance to play the U-17 AFCON, the U-17 World Cup in India in 2017 and today they are playing this AFCON,” said Hamidou.
Niger will have to work hard in Group A against Nigeria, South Africa and Burundi. The opening match will take place on February 2 between Mena and Amajita.
The group B is 100 per cent West African. The Lion Cubs of Senegal will face the Aiglons of Mali, the Black Satellites of Ghana and the Junior Stallions of Burkina Faso. – cafonline.com
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