As excitement amongst the local population mounted yesterday ahead of this afternoon's opening game of the World Youth Championships, there was a growing feeling amongst officials and local commentators that an event staged to improve the image of Nigeria on the world stage might well end up having precisely the opposite effect.
In recent days difficulties have continued to mount for tournament officials at Nigeria '99. As of yesterday morning, it appears that organisers will have to allow spectators into today's opening ceremony and first game free of charge because the tickets, printed in England for security reasons, have not yet arrived.
To make matters worse, the First Bank of Nigeria, which was to handle the distribution and sale of tickets for all the games, has withdrawn from the role on the basis of the "incompetence" of the organising committee.
Given the infrastructural problems - electricity supplies, telecommunications and transport are all terribly unreliable - with which the organisers have had to cope, however, it's difficult to judge just how many of the problems could have been avoided.
Nevertheless, Costa Rica's team bus running out of petrol, the inability of FIFA's regional organisers to get fax machines never mind internet links to work because the phone system is in such a state of disrepair, and the host team's strip and boots failing to fit any the players are just a few of the hiccups that have left local observers and visiting media fearing the worst this week.
However, FIFA's Director of Communications, Keith Cooper, insisted yesterday that, generally speaking, the tournament was in fairly good shape at this stage. "There are some problems, but then we always expected there would be some problems. On the whole, though, the organisers have set priorities and have delivered on those priorities."
Indeed, on the pitch the tournament is likely to be a success. The eight stadiums and their playing surfaces are all in excellent condition, even if work on completing them is continuing at a frantic pace. Most national associations (the English are the notable exception) have sent their best available squads and games are expected to be carried live on television to more than 100 countries worldwide.
The immediate concern for the Irish team, of course, is to beat their first opponents, Mexico, in tomorrow's second Group C game at the Liberty stadium in Ibadan. Their opponents have a decent enough record at this level, although in recent tournaments they have not done so well, failing to qualify for Qatar four years ago and going out 1-0 to France in the second round last time. Ireland coach Noel O'Reilly saw them play a friendly match against Birmingham City a couple of weeks ago and reckons they are a good, attacking side with plenty of talented individuals, but due to their refusal to give out the names of their players that night he admits to not being entirely sure who the good players are.
"Like us they have a couple of full internationals and when I saw them they looked good," he said yesterday. "I don't know the names, but I've certainly recognised a few of the faces since we got here and the important thing was to see their approach to the game. They're a very attacking side, I think they might make chances against us, but we're an attacking side, too, and it's going to be interesting."
Barring any mishaps in training today, O'Reilly and manager Brian Kerr will have a full squad to choose from for tomorrow's game, with Keith Doyle's tiredness and slight weight loss since arriving the only concern. O'Reilly feels, however, that Doyle and Damien Duff, who had a minor hamstring problem, should be all right for the game.
If Doyle was to miss out, Celtic's Colin Healy or Paul Donnolly of Leeds could come into the frame, while Duff's absence would almost certainly mean a start for Shelbourne's Richie Baker.
For both management teams this game is vital, for if either side is to have serious hopes of making it through to the closing stages of the competition it is important they win Group C.
If they do then their reward will be to stay in Ibadan, a southern city where the conditions are relatively manageable, and to face a third-placed team from one of three groups in the next round. Finishing second, on the other hand, means a trip of 1,000 kilometres to the northern city of Kano, which even the locals reckon is unreasonably hot.
If Ireland do not come out on top of the group, the opposition will almost certainly be tougher in the second phase, too, with Nigeria, Germany, Ghana and defending champions Argentina amongst the possible opponents. That reads pretty much like a list of the favourites at these championships, although half a dozen other nations, including three-time winners Brazil and twice champions Portugal, will also fancy their chances.
