Eaglets Flooded By Good Wishes, As Bout With Mali Looms

Eaglets Flooded By Good Wishes, As Bout With Mali Looms
By Salifu Usman, BY TAOFEEK LAWAL
— Nov 8, 2015 3:47 am | Leave a comment
Goodwill messages and motivating speeches have continued to inundate the camp of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets as they prepare to face Mali in the final game of the FIFA U17 World Cup which will come to an end in Chile today.
Bukola Saraki, yesterday, lauded the “indomitable spirit” of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets after they defeated their Mexican counterparts 4-2 , to berth in the finals of the tournament.
Saraki, in a statement by his media office in Abuja, specifically charged the Eaglets to improve on their present tempo, beat the Malian team and bring the coveted trophy home.
The governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, also weighed in on the messages to the team.
The governor, in statement signed by his special adviser on sports matters, Alhaji Aminu Balele Kurfi, said: “I am happy that the team has represented us well. They should bring the cup back for President Muhammadu Buhari. I was so sure that the team will do well in Chile because of what I saw of them when they were here in Katsina for their training camp and I am happy they did not disappoint us,” he said.
In his own statement, the chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical and Development Committee, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, made a clarion call to the Golden Eaglets to set a new world record for wins in the tourney.
“At the beginning of the competition, I told the Eaglets to take it one match at a time, which they so brilliantly did. They waited to know the opposition’s strength in the first 10 minutes and then they go all out and punch them hard.”
The former chairman of the House of Representatives’ Sport Committee, Hon Geoffrey Ali Gaiya, restated his belief in the ability of the Eaglets to go for the kill against the Malians but cautioned the Emmanuel Amuneke-tutored team against being complacent and underrating their opponents.
“Our first 11 are world beaters and the same can be said of the bench. Their progression in the tournament have made us see that given all the necessary support, these boys will go places if they are properly monitored and guided in their fledging career. I see us winning the cup for the 5th time but it’s not over until it is over,” he said.
Sponsor of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), Globacom has also urged the team not to falter.
According a statement released yesterday, the telecommunication said: “With the superlative form displayed by the team so far, we are confident that the Eaglets will go all the way to lift the trophy. We are most delighted that the Eaglets are now within 90 minutes of winning the FIFAU-17 World Cup for a record fifth time. We urge the Eaglets’ coaches to admonish the players not to underrate the Malians who have shown much determination and resilience so far in the tournament,” the statement added