Maigari Hails Home Based Eagles.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has commended the performance of the Senior Men’s Team, Super Eagles, made up of home-based players against the ‘A’ team of Angola in an international friendly in Abuja on Wednesday, 11th January.

“I believe that for the first time in a long time, Nigerians were afforded the opportunity to see what the home boys are capable of doing. Hitherto, they had always been used as training materials and the foreign based players would come a few days to a match and snatch the shirts.

“Now, the NFF has decided that everything would have to be in merit. We are delighted to have a new Head Coach who supports the vision of the administration and is ready for the hard work that is needed to get there.

“Mr. Keshi will get all the support that is necessary from the NFF for the continued camping of the home boys, and we will ensure that friendly matches are available to expose the team and give the players’ experience and confidence”, said Maigari.

The home boys, playing their first international after four weeks of camping in Abuja, which included the Yuletide period, stood firm against the ‘A’ team of Angola, which is heading to the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, at the National Stadium, Abuja and came close to nicking the match with bold and beautiful moves.

Goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Azubuike Egwueke, Godfrey Oboabona, Juwon Oshaniwa and Papa Idris, midfielders Gabriel Reuben, Uche Ossai and Obinna Nwachukwu and forwards Sunday Mba, Kabiru Umar and Ejike Uzoenyi who started the match showed comfort, calmness and class on the ball against the vastly experienced Palancas Negras.

Maigari continued: “Already, we are reaching out to some State Governments to help with the camping programme of the team. There have been a couple of positive responses and we will move the team to any of the States that is ready, once the team returns from Liberia.

“You can recall that this is the same way that Mr. Clemens Westerhorf started his building of the team that qualified Nigeria for her first FIFA World Cup finals, won the African Cup of Nations finals in 1994 and impressed at the World Cup finals.

“The bulk of that team eventually won the Olympic football gold for Nigeria at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, USA – the first for Africa”, stated Maigari.

The Super Eagles will depart for Monrovia on Friday for the international friendly with the Lone Star of Liberia, which is scheduled for the Antoinette Tubman Stadium on Sunday evening. The team will return to Nigeria on Monday.