It was back slapping and hugging in the camp of the national U-23 men’s football team, Dream Team VI, as all the players who went for continental engagement for their clubs beat the Monday deadline set by Chief Coach Samson Siasia.
First to hit camp were the Kano Pillars duo of goalkeeper Yusuf Mohammed and striker Christian Obiozor at about 12.45pm.
Then came the Warri Wolves pair of Oghenekaro Etebo and Freedom Omofonma, who arrived at about 4pm, fully kitted for the day’s training and joined their mates in training.
Then as the training was coming to an end, the Enyimba pair of Peter Onyekachi and Kingsley Sokari arrived the mainbowl of the National Stadium, Abuja after helping their club secure an away 1-0 victory of their Benin Republic opponents over the weekend.
Addressing the players, Siasia thanked the players for putting the interest of the nation ahead of their personal comfort, adding that some players would have stayed back in their clubs to rest.
He reminded the players that the game between them and Gabon is not over “if we can beat them 1-4 at their backyard then let us know that they will also want to do same here. The only way we can show to Nigerians that our victory in Libreville was no fluke is to repeat such performance here at home.”
Coach Siasia also commended the players for helping their clubs to qualify for the next rounds of their various continental competitions.
He said by their contributions to their team’s successes, they have shown that they are truly national team players and should remember at all times that they are ambassadors of the team.
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