Coach Lie Bojang says Young Scorpions fear no one on paper or pitch
As The Gambia national Under -20 takeS on Nigeria in the semifinals of the AFCON U-20 championship in Eqypt, Coach Lie Bojang said his team is not interested in the history or pedigree of the Eaglets. “I have always said what is important is what we can produce in the 90 minutes. Football is beyond what is on paper. You can get all the records but at the end of the day what is produced in the 90 minutes is what matters. At the moment we are conscious of the fact that only Nigeria stands in our way to the final. We want to be champions to achieve that you must beat the champions,” the coach said in Cairo where the team has now arrived for today’s match.
Following what has been thrilling U20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2023 Quarterfinal action, The Gambia Senegal, Niger and Tunisia booked their place in the semi-finals.
The semi-final berth also secures passage to the FIFA U20 World Cup to be hosted in Indonesia.
The Gambia produced the most elegant performance of the quarterfinals marching to a 5-0 victory over South Sudan with Adama Bojang scoring a hat-trick on Friday.
Tunisia defeated Congo 5-4 on penalties, after extra-time ended 3-3, to also secure their place in the semi-final.
On Thursday, Senegal defeated Benin 1-0 to advance while Nigeria also won by a similar score line against Uganda to progress to the last four.
The two semi-final matches will be played on Monday, 6 March 2023.
Senegal take on Tunisia in the first match at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia at 16h00 local time (14h00 GMT).
The other semi-final game will see The Gambia facing Nigeria at the Cairo International Stadium at 19h00 local time (17h00 GMT).
