Leading 1-0 from the first leg second round match played in Kinshasa last weekend, the Golden Eaglets confirmed their superiority yet again with a 3-0 win at the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Sunday in front of appreciative home fans
Browsing: Golden Eaglets of Nigeria
The Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, made this possible as he augmented the bonus from the quarter-final stage to the final of the competition, when he agreed to double the amount paid by the cash-strapped Nigeria Football Federation, which has said it loud and clear that it is financially handicapped
Muhammed has been an inspired choice by Coach Manu Garba “because he combines the names of two prophets” and Awoniyi said there couldn’t have been a better captain than the Kano State-born defender
Thomson has been a match official since 1988 and has officiated in the Scottish Premier League since 2002
There is an extra motivation for me to win this trophy and it would be my greatest honour yet because in 2007 I was an assistant when Nigeria won this trophy,” Manu said at the lobby of Abu Dhabi Hotel before heading for his last pre-match press conference at this 2013 UAE U-17 World Cup
Other members of the delegation, whom President Jonathan has charged to ensure that the Golden Eaglets receive all necessary support and motivation for victory
“All my life, I have never entertained any fear and I don’t even know what fear means,” posited Garba when pressed at a press conference
Baby Jet, as he is fondly referred to by his admirers, plays for Al Ain Football Club in the UAE Pro-League, received a thunderous applause when he was sighted at the stadium
Nigeria had lived up to its billing as one of the highest scoring sides at the competition with 14 goals scored in three matches while conceding four
The other players who must avoid being booked are Tripichio Nicolas, Ferreyra German, Canete Jonathan and Moran Correa Zacarias, all from Argentina, that will be facing Canada
Manu reminded the players about the unfortunate incident at the CAN African Championship in Morocco when they won their opening match with an identical 6-1 against Ghana only to concede a 1-0 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in the second match
The President, however, urged the Golden Eaglets to remember that they have just overcome their first opponent in a long tournament and must therefore stay focused
The message was delivered by Ibrahim Auwalu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UAE, who visited the team alongside some members of his family
“You guys should please just do your best for the country and we know what this team is capable of doing,” Maigari said in a telephone conversation, even as he asked after the general welfare of the team at their Dubai training camp
Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, the Federation’s Director Technical, informed that it is imperative that some of the players that won the silver
medal last April be subjected to the MRI scan yet again since confirmation is needed to determine their present status
He added: “We are at a delicate stage of this campaign because it’s a winner takes all match and for that reason, there is no need to gamble
This was revealed by the Team’s Media Officer, Morakinyo Abodunrin, to The Eagle Online sports from Morocco on Monday afternoon
Last year, the Golden Eaglets won 11 and drew one out 12 practice matches and Wednesday’s game is certainly a rematch against Bob Osim Academy that suffered a 5-1 defeat in the hands of Coach Manu Garba boys
But after two weeks of conditioning and light training, Garba, in a frank discussion with the team on Sunday, said only fit and battle-ready players will be picked to represent the country at the forthcoming African Under-17 Championship to be hosted by Morocco in April
The National Under-17 team, which returned this week to its camp in Calabar, Cross River State to prepare ahead of the 10th African Cadet Championship to be hosted by Morocco in April, have been enjoined to concentrate fully on the task at hand in order to give Nigerians something to cheer about as the country celebrates the Centenary anniversary of its amalgamation