Emmanuel Amuneke, Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, has said fresh opportunities would be given to new players as the national Under-17 team’s camp opens in Abujaon Sunday ahead of the forthcoming African cadet championship to be hosted in Niger between February 15 and March 1, 2015.
Amuneke, who breezed into town midweek from Spain, noted that the next two weeks would be used to ascertain the fitness level and condition of older players, adding it was necessary to fortify the team in view of the challenges expected at the tournament.
The Golden Eaglets nearly won the 2013 CAN Under-17 Championship but were beaten 5-4 by Junior Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire after a pulsating 1-1 draw in Marrakech, Morocco.
“The peculiar nature of the Under-17 category means that we would continue to work with most of the players that have been with us for some time now,” said the 1994 African Footballer of the Year.
“But that has not fore closed the chances for others to break into the team since we need to present a very good team because our objective first and foremost is to secure one of the tickets for the next FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile.”
The team would expectedly begin its training session on Monday at the NFF/ FIFA Goal Project Pitch and officials hinted that only those who are invited would be taken care of while others who want to be screened would cater for their own welfare.
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