Pinnick, board members storm Eaglets’ screening

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, on Tuesday took time out of his tight schedule to witness the ongoing Golden Eaglets’ screening at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project Pitch in Abuja.
Pinnick, who came in company of a number of board members and some football stakeholders, spent almost one hour watching the players jostling to be part of the team being put in place for the forthcoming qualifiers for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Madagascar next year.
On the entourage of Pinnick were NFF’s 1st Vice-President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi; Barrister Chris Green; Alhaji Babagana Kalli; Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi; Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa; Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf Fresh; and Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
There were also Pinnick’s Special Assistant on Security, Chikelue Iloenyosi; and Austin Popo, the Secretary of Nigeria Players’ Union.
Pinnick stated that the large turnout is a vindication of the abundance of talents in the country, even as he challenged the coaching crew to discover more Kelechi Iheanachos, Victor Osimhens and their ilk for the country.
He said: “This exercise is competitive and I’m always very proud to see young players play football but at the end of the day, only about 50 or 60 would be picked by the coaches.
“But the players have shown discipline and we have also seen dexterity on the part of some of them and I’m just overwhelmed; and I think it is going to be difficult for the technical study group to arrive at a sizeable number.”
According to Pinnick, football has become an integral sector of the economy, adding that young players have seen that football is a leeway to better the lot of their families.
He further said Nigeria has created an enviable record at the U-17 level after the Golden Eaglets won its fifth title in Chile last year and asked the coaching crew to maintain the momentum, adding: “The U-17 World Cup is our exclusive preserve and we must keep on winning it.”
On the outcome of the meeting with the House of Reps’ Committee on Sports that also had Chris Giwa and members of his group in attendance, a smiling Pinnick said: “It was a fruitful meeting, but you have to respect the Committee while they are putting together their report.
“It is indecent to go to press and be talking about such an important meeting with Nigeria’s parliament while they are still writing their report.”