NFF President, Aminu Maigari, was at his oratorical best on Sunday afternoon when he addressed the national team currently in action at the CHAN African Nations Tourney in South Africa after the team’s hard won victory over the Atlas Lions of Morocco Saturday.
Maigari, who spoke to the players at their Garden Court De Waal abode after lunch described the team as the proverbial heart of the Nigerian nation and told them that he has the words of President Goodluck Jonathan, on due reward for the players even as he said order has been restored in Nigerian football.
“The top news in Nigeria after your miraculous victory over Morocco was the message of President Goodluck Jonathan urging you to go ahead and win the trophy, with a promise that he will do same if not much more for the team like he did for the Afcon 2013 Champions. The ball is now in your court to make the dreams of Mr. President come true”, he said.
In one word, Maigari declared thus: “Confidence, belief and faith help you to overcome the Moroccan opposition and that is the makeup of the average Nigerian, we expect more of such displays in your subsequent encounters because you have raised not only my hope and that of the NFF board but that of the over 160million Nigerians.”.
NFF Technical Committee boss, Chris Green, said he was delighted at the performance of the Nigerian team, even describing Coach Keshi as the best coach in the world at the moment. He alluded the victories of the team of recent to the peaceful atmosphere that has existed between the leadership of the NFF and the Eagles coaching crew.
Green said, “some people are gifted, others acquire talent but the head coach here is both gifted and blessed with acquisition. But I must tell him that we must not fail Mr. President in bring home the trophy at the end of the championship”.
Keshi in his remarks at the impromptu event said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of praises for him, but quickly added that his assistant coaches, Dan Amokachi, Houadonou Valere and Ike Shorunmu, as well as the staff of the team, made of medics, psychologist, security, media, coordinator and Team Administrator have been the real force of success for the team. “We are like children from the same mother”, Keshi said.
He promised that the team will not let the nation down in the remaining two matches of the championship. “We will do our best to justify the confidence reposed in this team by Mr. President, the NFF and all Nigerians”, he declared.
