The National Sports Commission has commended the Golden Eaglets for finishing as Africa’s second best team at the recently concluded 2013 CAN Under-17 Championship hosted by Morocco.
This much was stated by Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, the newly-appointed
Acting Director-General of the NSC before his departure from Marrakech for Abuja, after watching a pulsating final between Nigeria and Cote
d’Ivoire on Saturday.
The match ended 5-4 in favour of the Baby Elephants in a penalty shootout after both teams had tied 1-1 in regulation time.
“Overall, we have to commend the efforts of the Golden Eaglets because they did their best at this championship,” the DG said matter-of-factly. “Of course, if they were a bit lucky, they would have beaten the Ivorians in the final match because they have the
possibility in the first half with several opportunities.”
The acting DG said that the Golden Eaglets have the potentials to go all the way in the forthcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the UAE later in the year, adding that the NSC would continue to perform its
oversight functions in ensuring that Nigeria reclaimed its glory in international football.
“Personally, I think the Golden Eaglets can do better at the World Cup and I want to believe that the coaches and the Nigeria Football Federation have seen areas where more work has to be done,” he said.
“We would continue to support the NFF as part of our
responsibilities.”
Similarly, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, Senator Abdallah Wali, who watched almost all the team’s matches at the CAN Under-17 Championship, has enjoined the Golden Eaglets to be steadfast when they travel to the UAE in October.
“They have done well here but we have all seen that they can do better if they work more,“ he said. “I believe in this team and we should continue to support them as they prepare to face the rest of the World
in the UAE.”
Meanwhile, the continent’s second best team are due back in Nigeria in the early hours of Wednesday.
The players and officials are expected to depart their base in Marrakech to Casablanca on Tuesday afternoon for their onward trip to Lagos later in the evening aboard Air Maroc.
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