So much at stake as Nigeria, Argentina light up Bauchi

The Golden Eaglets will resume their quest for a fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup title today, with a match against an Argentinean side that's already through to the tournament's round of 16. And defeat is out of the question for the tournament's defending champions who require at least a draw against the South Americans to secure a place in the knockout rounds. The match comes up at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi, and it is the first of three games scheduled for the venue that had previously staged matches of the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup. But unlike the event of a decade ago, the venue for today's encounter now has an artificial playing surface and it will be the first time the Golden Eaglets and their Argentinean counterparts will be playing on anything other than natural grass since the commencement of the tournament, having played all their previous two games at the National Stadium in Abuja. But irrespective of the playing surface, it has to be noted that John Obuh's side hasn't really performed up to their potential at this championship and as a result has come under a lot of criticisms from football-loving Nigerians, especially following their inability to score more than a goal in their last game against Honduras last Tuesday. The Golden Eaglets created more than a handful of chances in that encounter against the Hondurans but their greatest undoing was a forward line that appeared to had left their scoring boots back at their base. Argentinean efficiency However, unlike the Eaglets, the Argentineans have shown a ruthless level of efficiency that has seen them emerging victorious in their previous encounters against Honduras and Germany, even if they weren't spectacular in the process. Against Honduras, Sergio Araujo's finely-placed shot in the 59th minute proved more than enough to give the side handled by former World Cup winner, Jose Luis Brown, their first win of Nigeria 2009. The 17-year-old Boca Juniors of Argentina forward repeated the feat three days later, with a goal on 58 minutes which gave the South Americans a deserved 2-1 win against the Germans. But with Adrian Cirigliano suspended for today's game and with four other players, including Araujo in danger of missing the second round tie if they get booked today, Brown could be tempted to give some of his regulars a break. But if the former Argentina defender doesn't go for a safety-first approach and opts to feature the highly sought-after Araujo from the start, then the Golden Eaglets backline must remain resolute from start to finish, while avoiding a repeat of their error filled opening day performance against Germany in the three-all draw. It's, however, doubtful whether the Argentineans will approach today's tie relaxed and content with the fact that they had garnered the maximum points from their previous games as they will also be keen on avoiding a defeat which, if it does happen at the hands of the Eaglets today, will see them relinquishing the top spot to the Nigerians, with the prospects of a testy second round tie in Ijebu Ode against the second-placed side from Group C, which could be any of the trio of Iran, Colombia or the Netherlands. Abuja factor First place in Group A, will on the other hand, mean a seemingly easier round of 16 clash in Abuja, with one of the four third-placed sides expected to make it to the next round, and that will be the target of the Eaglets today, so says Obuh. "I have been impressed with what I have seen of them (the Argentineans); they are a good side with some good players," admitted Obuh. "They are already through to the next round but I don't think they will be taking it easy when we get to play because I am sure they want to finish first in our group. "First place means you get to remain in Abuja and that is what we want, and that is why we have to win," added Obuh, whose side has a better head-to-head record against the Argentineans. Today's match will be the fifth meeting between Nigeria and Argentina at the FIFA U-17 World Cup and the Golden Eaglets have the upper hand with two wins and one draw from their previous meetings which includes the 4-0 rout over the South Americans in 1993 in Japan, with all four strikes arriving in a 19-minute spell between the 60th and 79th minutes, courtesy of Peter Anosike, Nwankwo Kanu and Wilson Oruma, who grabbed a brace. The defeat was the heaviest ever conceded by Argentina at the U-17 World Cup. Win or bust Today's other Group A encounter between Germany and Honduras, billed for the National Stadium in Abuja will, however, be the first ever match between both nations at any level. And it's a win or bust situation for a German side that were among the favourites going into Nigeria 2009. A string of inconsistent displays against Nigeria and Argentina, however, leaves the Mannschaft in a dicey position, as they need to beat Honduras, while hoping that the Golden Eaglets suffer a defeat at the hands of the Albiceleste; a situation that will see the European champions finishing second in Group A. For their part, Honduras still have a hypothetical chance of making it to the next round as one of the best third-placed sides, but in order to do that, they will need to record their first ever win in the history of the competition. Eugenio Umanzor's team looked impressive in their lone goal defeats to Argentina and Nigeria. And in captain, Antony Lozano, the Catrachos have a youngster with the ability and the heart to become an international star in the foreseeable future, but they will need more than the undoubted abilities of the 16-year-old to scale past the Germans. "Our match against Germany will be like a final and that in itself is a historic moment for a country like Honduras," said Umanzor in a chat with FIFA.com. "We're not going to go out there feeling like we've already lost the match though - we're looking to win it."