Norwegian national team coach Bjorn Johanssen is relishing the opportunity to square up against the Flying Eagles at the upcoming U-20 FIFA World Cup set to take place in Chile in a few months from now, Footynaija.com reports.
The Flying Eagles are gearing up for their 14th appearance at the global tournament and Aliyu Zubairu’s boys have been tasked with successfully navigating an unpredictable group after being pitched against the likes of Norway, Colombia and Saudi Arabia in Group F.
Following the confirmation of the draw, Johanssen, who was present during its announcement, shared his thoughts on the outcome. While he expressed relief after Norway avoided the tournament’s “group of death” which saw Brazil, Spain, Mexico and Morocco pitched against one another in group C, Johanssen was excited by the prospect of facing Nigeria.
“Five of the six groups look pretty even and then Group C with Brazil, Spain, Mexico and Morocco stands out as a very tough group,” the 55-year-old in quotes revealed by the official website of the Norwegian football association.
“We avoided it and now we get to test ourselves against opponents we haven’t played against much before, including Nigeria who have a lot of power and strength.”
Nigeria and Norway will lock horns at Estadio Fiscal de Talca in the first match of Group F on Monday, September 29 at 10:00 PM. The top two teams in each group will advance to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed teams from the group stage campaign.