Nigeria 2009: Abuja, Bauchi to host Eaglets’ first round group matches

This is according to the match schedule, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of the Official Draw Ceremony held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja on Friday.    NAN reports that the draw was conducted by Mr Jim Brown, FIFA’s Executive Director of Communications, with assistance from […]

This is according to the match schedule, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of the Official Draw Ceremony held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja on Friday.   

NAN reports that the draw was conducted by Mr Jim Brown, FIFA’s Executive Director of Communications, with assistance from FIFA Vice President Jack Warner and six Nigerian ex-internationals.

The former national stars are Peter Rufai, Samson Siasia, Nduka Ugbade, Victor Ikpeba, Tijani Babangida and Mercy Akide-Udoh.

The draw place Nigeria in Group A of the first round alongside Germany, Honduras and Argentina with five of their matches to be played in Abuja and the sixth one in Bauchi.

Nigeria, the competition’s defending champions, is to take on Germany whom they beat 3-1 in the semi-finals at the competition’s last edition in the opening match on Saturday Oct. 24 in Abuja, with Honduras facing Argentina some moments later at the same venue.

Nigeria will face Honduras on Tuesday, Oct. 27 in Abuja, immediately after Argentina had taken on Germany, third-place finishers at Korea 2007, at the same venue.

For the group’s last matches on Friday, Oct. 30, to be played simultaneously, Nigeria would travel to Bauchi to face Argentina, while Germany stays back in Abuja to take on Honduras.

In Group B of the competition, which has Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Switzerland as Lagos as their venue, while Abuja will take one of their six matches, one of the two final group games, between Switzerland and Brazil on Oct. 30.

Group C matches, which will involve Iran, The Gambia, Colombia and The Netherlands, will be played in Calabar with Enugu hosting one of their six matches too, the one involving The Netherlands and Iran on Oct. 31.

Enugu will host Group D matches involving Turkey, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica and New Zealand, with the final group game of New Zealand and Turkey on Oct. 31, holding in Calabar.

Kano will host Group E matches, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malawi, 2007 finalists Spain and the U.S. at the Sani Abacha Stadium and the final group game of the U.S. and UAE taking place in Ijebu-Ode on Nov. 1.

Group F matches are in Kaduna, with Uruguay, Korea Republic, Algeria and Italy drawn together and the final group match between Italy and Uruguay taking place in Kano on Nov. 1.

The eight second round matches are billed for Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 at the eight venues,  with the Nigerian Golden Eaglets likely to play in either Ijebu-Ode, Lagos, Calabar or Abuja, depending on if they finish third, second or first in their group.

Quarter-final matches, four in all, will hold in Bauchi, Ijebu-Ode, Kaduna and Calabar on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, while the two semi-final matches will hold on Nov. 12 in Lagos.

The third-place and final matches will hold on Sunday, Nov. 15 in Abuja. (NAN)