Gov. Imoke Charges Eaglets To Conquer Niger.

Golden Eaglets’ foremost fan, His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke, the Governor of Cross River State has made a clarion call to the National Under-17 team to open their 2013 African Under-17 Youth Championship account with a win against Niger in Niamey this weekend.

Mr. Patrick Ugbe, the State’s Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, said Governor Imoke as well as people of the state and Nigerians in general, are expecting nothing less than a victory from the team on Saturday.

Ugbe, who was away in Vallecamonica in Italy to ensure that Cross River State is granted the right to host the 30th edition of the World Mountain Running Championships in 2014, said he was excited when he heard about the Golden Eaglets’ victories against Junior Wasps of Rwanda last weekend.

 “I have been following the activities of the team though I was far away,” Ugbe told an official of the team in a telephone conversation late Tuesday’s night.

“His Excellency, the Governor is happy about the victories recorded by the team against Rwanda and this has shown that the decision to bring the team to Calabar to prepare ahead of the African Under-17 qualifiers was a good one.”

 He further stated that Nigerians are looking forward to the team’s success in this weekend’s fixture against Niger in Niamey, charging the players not to rest on their oars.

Said he: “His Excellency is following all what you have been doing here and he is impressed with your performances.

 The players have to show the same winning when they play Niger in Niamey as they did in previous friendly matches “There is nothing like we are playing an away match; you don’t let down your guards. You must go to Niger and conquer. The Governor and our people are behind you,” Ugbe added.