Niger set sights high for ancestral bow

• India 2017 will be Niger’s initial universe Cup entrance in any level
• Soumaila Tiemogo led a Junior Menas to a semi-finals in CAF subordinate
• Tiemogo says his players can form a fortitude of a nation’s senior side

Niger’s past
0 – The series of appearances formerly done by Niger during a FIFA foe in any age group. The Menas have never progressed over a qualifiers of a FIFA World Cupâ„¢, yet they did grasp some earnest formula in a preliminaries for Spain 1982 and USA 1994. As for a CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Niger done their entrance in a contest in 2012, when they mislaid all their organisation matches. On their final entrance in a continental finals, in 2013, they mislaid dual and drew one.

Niger’s present
1 – The series of times Niger have now competent for a universe finals, with a Junior Menas set to make their entrance during a FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. Coach Soumaila Tiemogo puts that feat down to a strides done in building grassroots football and a seductiveness generated by Niger’s appearances during a Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2013.

“The seniors achieved dual good formula and a youngsters have followed adult by reaching a World Cup,” he told FIFA.com. “Niger is not unequivocally a footballing nation though a sport’s entrance along now, interjection to girl growth and a courses a inhabitant FA, a CAF and FIFA are laying on for coaches. And we’re creation a many of them and giving all we can to immature players.”

How Niger done it to India 2017
“The qualifiers were tough for us,” removed Tiemogo, whose players claimed a scalp of two-time reigning universe champions Nigeria. “That incited a few heads in Africa and warranted us some attention. We corroborated that adult during a finals, where we faced Mali, a runners-up during a final universe finals, in a organisation phase. Our immature players still managed to validate and they deserved to do so too. We’ve come a prolonged way.”

Niger claimed their sheet to India by reaching a semi-finals. They mislaid 6-5 on penalties to Ghana in a final four, carrying played out a goalless pull in normal time. Guinea afterwards flog them 3-1 in a compare for third place.

Niger’s future
Three challenging opponents in a figure of Korea DPR, Brazil and Spain, wait Niger in Group D during India 2017. “Unlike comparison level, when we know who a star players are, it’s harder to decider in girl football,” pronounced Tiemogo. “If we asked Niger to hit out Ghana or Gabon during comparison level, you’d doubt they could do it. But that’s only what we did during youth level. There’s a lot of talent in Niger.”

Asked if their India 2017 organisation would be too tough for Niger, their manager gave an upbeat response: “I can’t pledge that we’ll go on and win a foe though we can pledge that we’ll make people speak about us, only like we did in Africa. Maybe we can’t work miracles, though we can do a best.”

Tiemogo is looking nowhere though ahead: “Niger has a growth programme in place. We are going to emanate a inhabitant academy where immature players can stay and accept training for dual years.” The conduct of a football academy himself, a manager has high hopes of his stream crop: “We’ll be hosting a U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, and this era should yield a spine of that team. We wish to see them flog on after 2019 and paint Niger during comparison level.”

The lowdown on Soumaila Tiemogo
– Known as “The Emperor” in his personification days, Tiemogo was a defender who captained his country.
– Formerly a PE and sports teacher.
– Previously a executive of football and manager with a inhabitant team.
– Has taken partial in a series of CAF and FIFA training seminars.
– Director of a Atcha Football Academy.

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/news/y=2017/m=8/news=niger-set-sights-high-for-historic-bow-2905641.html