In an exclusive interview with Brila Media, Coach Lewis said, “It’s a tough draw. South Africa and Zimbabwe are big dogs, you know. South Africa and Zimbabwe are both professional teams. 

“Nigeria currently is an amateur team. Their players practice and play every day and get paid to do it, while our boys don’t. Mauritius, they’re the host nation. They had a good weekend, but they are more similar in terms of resources and talent to Nigeria at the moment.”

Lewis anticipates a challenging Saturday ahead. “Facing South Africa and Zimbabwe will be tough, but beating either of those teams would be a fantastic achievement.”

Reflecting on their recent performance, Lewis commented, “We had a disappointing weekend. We came in seeded eighth and went one on four only beating Tunisia. 

“This was mostly due to a lack of preparation. We have six players from the UK, four from Nigeria, one from the US, and one from South Africa.

“The first time they met each other was at the airport. We really had limited preparation and didn’t know each other well. But now we have a week to practice. Hopefully, we will be more cohesive and perform better.”

Lewis also emphasized the need for a stronger domestic league. “All things being equal, with the correct funding and resources, we need a domestic league. Tournaments in Lagos, Abuja, Kano—our players need to be playing regularly. As a national team, Nigeria needs to compete more often. 

“You can’t just show up at a tournament once a year and expect to do well when other countries are playing six to eight tournaments a year.

“We need a competitive domestic league and more opportunities to train and compete together as a national team.”