Abuja, August 8, 2016 -Youngsters in the current Golden Eaglets bidding for a ticket to next year’s CAF and FIFA competitions have been advised to gird their loins if they are keen at emulating their illustrious predecessors who conquered the world.
This much was said by the NFF Technical and Development Committee Chairman, Barrister Chris Green after a routine meeting with officials and players of the U-17 team, Golden Eaglets at their camp in Abuja.
Nigeria last year won a record fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup title in Chile following earlier successes in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013, and Green has told the new kids on the block to be at the ready for the task ahead.
“You have to make names for yourselves and on behalf of the NFF President and board, I want to assure you that we are going to provide everything that will help in actualization of your talents,” stated the former Rivers State Commissioner for Sports who was in company with NFF board member, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh and Assistant Director (technical) Abdulrafiu Yusuf.
“You have not arrived yet and we don’t want you to get carried away at this stage,” he explained.”Don’t give room to the coaches to throw you out because they have briefed me that they would extend invitation to more players as we progress in the race towards the 2017 AFCON and World Cup campaigns.”
Responding to Green’s fatherly advice, striker Edidiong Ezekiel promised on behalf of the Eaglets to be of good conduct saying, they are ready to bend backwards to sustain the country’s enviable record at this level.
Coach Manu Garba on the other hand, assured that the Golden Eaglets’ players and officials remained focused in the task of building a virile side, adding the team’s watch word is built on key four factors including Composure, Concentration, Confidence and Commitment. “We are focused despite all we have gone through right from the time we started the screening and we believe God will crown our efforts with success in the final analysis,” added Garba.
