By: Gracious Akujobi
Manu Garba, Golden Eaglets’ Head coach has been invited as one of the guests to witness the Official Draw of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013 to be held on Monday, in the Fairmont Bab al Bahr, Abu Dhabi.
The world soccer governing body, FIFA in conjunction with the Higher Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013 equally extended the invitation to the team’s administrator, Tayo Egbaiyelo and Captain Musa Muhammed.
The Golden Eaglets including three other African hope bearers-Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Morocco and 20 other qualified countries will be drawn into six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group automatically qualifying for the round of 16. The four best third-placed teams from the group stages will also progress to the knock-out stages.
Already, the Golden Eaglets’ contingent has been provided with the travelling logistics and would depart Abuja for Abu Dhabi via Ethiopia on Sunday. Apart from witnessing the glitz of the Draw, various other activities are lined up for all the attendees including seminars, inspection of teams’ colours amongst others.
Expectedly, coach Garba has refrained from speaking ahead of the draw but the general belief in the rank and file of the team is that the Golden Eaglets would be at the ready to face the rest of the world in October. The Nigerian Under-17 team is one of the best teams at this level after being crowned champions on three previous occasions in 1985, 1993, 2007 and runners up in three other previous occasions:1987;2001 and 2009.Already, a provisional list of 35 players have been selected and submitted to FIFA for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, media accreditation for the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 will begin on 2 September 2013 as such; sport reporters and photographers are advised to process their accreditation through the FIFA’s media channel.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is not going to issue any accreditation for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup,” informed Ademola Olajire, Assistant Director (Media) at the NFF.
“The appropriate medium is through the FIFA Media Channel; our colleagues who want to cover the championship should therefore apply accordingly.”
