Magari Bags Awards.

Maigari bags Gold Merit Award President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari on Thursday received recognition from a most critical sector of Nigeria football, when he was awarded the Gold Merit Award by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, FCT chapter.

 As the high point of the annual FCT-SWAN Week, Maigari was honoured at the Nigeria Press Centre (Radio House), Abuja for giving the necessary support to all Nigeria National Teams to prepare, participate and qualify for all major football championships in the year 2012.

 “We are honouring the NFF President for the support that himself, the Executive Committee and the Management have given to all National Teams to qualify and take part in all major competitions this year, and this award is meant to also encourage him and the Board and Management to provide even more support for our National Teams in the year 2013,” Chairman of FCT-SWAN, Mr. Kayode Adeniyi said on Thursday.

 In a magnificent year for Nigeria football, the Super Eagles qualified for the 2013 African Cup of Nations; the Flying Eagles have qualified for the 2013 African Youth Championship; the Golden Eaglets are on the verge of qualification for the 2013 African U-17 Championships and; the all the Women National Teams participated in major global championships.

While the U-20 girls, known as Falconets reached the semi finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, the U-17 girls reached the quarter finals at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan before the Super Falcons finished fourth at the African Women Championship in Equatorial Guinea.

Maigari, while accepting the award, said: “I am most delighted, yet humbled by this award. Let me use this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ to the Federal Government, through the National Sports Commission, for the immense support we have been receiving from them to run the National Teams.

We also appreciate our partners/sponsors for their support. “I wish to state clearly here that the Board of Nigeria Football Federation and the Management are committed to adequate preparation of our National Teams for the major championships they have qualified for, while we are also determined to provide all necessary support to the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.”