NIGERIA, CAMEROON CAN'T STOP US

• Nigerian Flying Eagles
Chairman of the Management Committee of the Ghana's Under-20 team, the Black Satellites, Jordan Anagbla, says Ghana will successfully defend the African Youth Championship (AYC) she won in Rwanda when the final countries gather for the biannual fiesta in Libya in March.

Ghana has been handed a tough draw for the first stage of the tourney that laces the best eight on the continent, but Anagbla says coming through the group that houses arch rival, Nigeria, Gambia and Cameroon is possible.

Anagbla said:'It is a tough draw for us but that will not stand in our way. We will successfully defend the trophy. The rivalry with Nigeria will always be there, we met Cameroon at the same stage in Rwanda and we clearly know the Gambia's threat but we are not moved.' Ghana won the last competition after beating Cameroon in the finals and the chairman said: 'It is a good thing we are playing Nigeria first. Cameroon we already know and will take a game at a time.'

Anagbla said the team's mental toughness and talent will propel it to defend the trophy in the competition that spans March 18-April 1.

'This team has whatever it takes to win the trophy. The talent is amazing and its biggest strength is its mental toughness that saw us through the qualifiers. From defence to attack are ball jugglers capable of holding their own any day. We have the best of talents in this team and the players' hunger and thirst for success will see us through'

Touching on the technical aspect of the team, Anagbla had kind words for the competence of Orlando Wellington, former assistant coach of the Africa and World Cup winning team.

'I believe so much in the ability of Coach Wellington. He has the experience and personally, I see him as the pillar behind our success in both the Africa and World competitions in 2009.'