Golden Eaglets line up
Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
Football followers in Calabar have called on Nigeria’s football administrators to sustain their encouragement of the Golden Eaglets following the team’s performances at the on-going FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.
They made the call on Friday in separate interviews with our correspondent after the team’s 4-2 semi-final defeat of Mexico to set up an All-African finals with Mali.
They were also of the opinion that such encouragement would not only engender youth football development but also drive the growth of the senior national team, the Super Eagles.
One of the followers, Albert Andinam, charged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to encourage the boys to grow by keeping them together to gradually sustain the senior national teams.
“We should all call on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to continue to encourage the 2015 class of Golden Eaglets currently campaigning at the FIFA World Cup in Chile because the team deserved no less.
“We expect the NFF to continue to keep the boys together to transit to the next age level of Nigeria’s cadet football cadre. With these class of young footballers Nigeria stands a chance of making it in global football.We need not remind them that he who fails to plan; plans to fail,” Andinam, also Vice Chairman Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in Cross River said.
According to the former Secretary of the Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) the Eaglets has the pedigree to consecutively win the cup having also won it four times at the U-17 level.
Another fan, Bassey Inyang, who largely shared Andinam’s views, stated that said that he was pleased that Nigerian youths were out there in Chile to exhibit their talents at the global youth football level
Inyang, who is immediate Past Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists in Cross River, also stated that he was also encouraged that Nigeria was not parading over-aged players at the tournament.
He also expressed the hope that Nigeria would someday win the senior world cup having made their mark at the age-grade football levels globally.
“I am happy that Nigerian youths are out there in Chile to exhibit, once again, their talent at the global youth football level for the giant of Africa. It is my wish that Nigeria should progress to winning at the senior level of world football; which is the World Cup.
“But we always have this problem assembling young boys at the U-17 level which majority would progress to the U-20 and U-23 and just a handful to the senior national team level. But it may be difficult to keep them together. However, if they have the opportunity to play in Europe the expertise and opportunities are there to further develop.
“We should continue to monitor their development rather than abandoning them to their fate after competitions. Governments and the corporate world should note this,’’ he said.
Inyang also called for a change of attitude by the Cross River Government towards funding the Pelican Stars, an all-female Premier league football club, as well as towards sports development in the state.
“This is because sports creates a platform to meaningful youth’s development. These youths can turn round to develop their society and even fund national teams. This has happened elsewhere even in Africa and in Nigeria remember that we had Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation. It can also happen in Cross River even for the girl child,” he said
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