As a member of the New Caledonia U-20 squad which missed out on a coveted spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup less than six months ago, Cyril Nyipie feels that today is his second chance.
“This event represents a lot for me because of the fact that we lost in the semi-final at the U-20 Championship in Vanuatu,” he said.
“For me especially it’s a second chance and I will give everything and try and win this semi-final today.”
The young midfielder believes he’s learned a lot since the loss to New Zealand in Santo.
“First and foremost I have had to improve my placement this time – I don’t want to repeat the same errors, I want to leave my faults behind me and do much better this time around.”
Nyipie believes the development between U-20 and U-17 is evident.
“The maturity of the game, the style and the level of the game is much higher at U-20.”
With a 90 minute showdown against the Solomon Islands standing between Nyipie and his dream of qualifying for a World Cup, the youngster remains sturdy in his belief that the team can achieve what they are chasing.
“Of course I am confident that we can get that place in the World Cup in India,” he said.
“There is an excellent cohesion within this group and I think the coach has chosen the best players he could have so I have confidence in us.”