WAFU U17: Hard Work Not Luck Helps Golden Eaglets To The Semifinals - Amoo Disagrees

  WAFU U17: Hard Work Not Luck Helps Golden Eaglets To The Semifinals - Amoo Disagrees By Niyi Busari Head coach, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, Fatai Amoo has disagreed with those who believed that the Golden Eaglets' semifinal qualification was basically on luck, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Golden Eaglets lost the group B opener 0-1 to Baby Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire and played a 0-0 draw with Starlets of Ghana. With one point from two matches, the defending champions had to wait for the result of the final group match between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. Ghana need a draw to qualify while Nigeria prayed Cote d'Ivoire beat Ghana more than one goal to secure the semifinal ticket. Luckily for Nigeria, Baby Elephants won 3-1 to end Ghana's dream of progressing to the semifinals and helped Nigeria pick the second group B ticket. Reacting to the semifinal game between Nigeria and Burkina Faso later today, Amoo argued that his boys' hard work and resilience and not luck was the reason for the team to pick the ticket. "Everybody is entitled to his opinion. You have to work before talking about luck. If you don't do anything luck will not shine on you. If we have not defended well to concede more than one goal against Cote d'Ivoire, it would have been a different story. Even against Ghana, if we didn't play up to the level we played that the game ended in draw, issue of luck wouldn't have arisen." He however said he has put that behind him and focused on coming out victorious in today's encounter. "What is important to us is to do better than what we've done in the last two matches." Amoo, admitted that Burkina Faso is one of the best team in the competition going by the number of goals (5) they've scored in two games. He strongly believed that his boys will need to work hard to stop the highflying side from scoring and also take their chances when they're created. "Its another tough battle, so far in this competition with other games I have watched, I have written Burkina Faso as favourite. Looking at the number of goals they've scored, it means they're a very good attacking team. So, we have to bring the best out of us to be able to defend well and take opportunity we might create." The former Shooting Stars of Ibadan head coach promised to improve in their inability to convert their chances in front of goal. "Our greatest undoing so far has been lack of good finishing. I think we cannot afford to do that in this very tough encounter. It is a game that will give us qualification ticket, so, it is a very important match for both sides. Five-time world champions and holders, Golden Eaglets will slug it out with Burkina Faso in the first semifinal tie at the Stade de Kegue, Lome at 5pm (Nigerian time)