The NFF/FIFA Goal Project Pitch, venue of the on-going Golden Eaglets’ screening in Abuja was a beehive of activities on Thursday with the presence of some eminent names, including 2013 U-17 FIFA World Cup -winning captain, Musa Muhammed, now with the Super Eagles.
Also in the mix were Super Eagles interim coach, Salisu Yusuf, erstwhile Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles’ coach John Obuh, NFF’s chief psychologist Dr. Robinson Okosun, Super Eagles coordinator, Patrick Pascal and the duo of Siji Lagunju and Rafiu Yusuf of the NFF technical department.
“It is nice to be back here and see a lot of young players coming out to be screened for the Golden Eaglets because this is where it all started for me,” began Musa, who breezed into Abuja on Wednesday after a two-match international friendly with the Super Eagles against Mali and Luxembourg. “Coming back here makes me humble and I can see a lot of players with the same passion and commitment that we had when we first came here to be part of the Golden Eaglets.
“I feel good to see coach Manu Garba, our secretary (Tayo Egbaiyelo) and media (Morakinyo Abodunrin) again and I want to wish the new boys success,” added Musa after soaking the atmosphere for half an hour.
Obuh who led the Golden Eaglets to win the silver when Nigeria hosted the U-17 World Cup in 2009, also offered his best wishes to incumbent coach Manu Garba, adding the turnout of aspiring players for the screening exercise is huge indeed. Meanwhile, coach Garba has yet again enthused about the prospect of finding the ‘rough gems’ from the throngs of players undergoing the screening.
“Scouting for players will always be a continuous process and we would use all available opportunities in building a solid team for the country,” maintained Garba.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has thrown its weight behind the technical crew of the Golden Eaglets in its drive to build a virile side towards the defence of the FIFA U-17 World Cup won last
year in Chile. This much was said by General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi while on a fact-finding mission to the venue of the on-going screening exercise of budding talents at the NFF\FIFA Goal Project Pitch in Abuja on Wednesday.
“The huge turnout of players for the screening could be overwhelming for inexperienced hands but I’m glad the officials we have here led by Coach Manu Garba know what should be done in order to pick the best players,” stated Sanusi who visited in company of Mr.Bola Oyeyode, Acting Director of Competitions and Dr. Chris Emeruwa, special assistant the GS.
“As defending champions and record five-time winner of the FIFA World Cup, every country will want to play us as if it is a Cup Final but we have to maintain the momentum,” he noted.”Of course, it is easy to create records but it is equally important that we maintain our top position at this level and I’m impressed with the little I’ve seen today at the screening exercise.”
