Akinwunmi: Eaglets’ Outing, A Wake–Up Call

The First- Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi has reflected that the not-too-impressive outing of the U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, at the 11th African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic is a definitive wake-up call for other National Teams.

The Eaglets, 2013 runners-up and reigning champions of the world, plummeted to a fourth –place finish and the continental houseparty.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Akinwunmi told officials of the Flying Eagles, to work together and assiduously to achieve glory at the 19th African Youth Championship kicking off on Sunday.

Thenff.com quoted Akinwunmi as saying: “No man knows it all. That is why team-work is important in every project like this. Football is also a team game, so the effort of everyone in the mix is important for victory.

“I know everyone is saying that you have a strong team, but the other seven teams coming to Senegal are also strong. We must take it one match at a time and give each match our very best.”

NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, also advised the team officials to see themselves as underdogs rather than as favourites for the trophy. “You must impress it on your players to keep a level head and not behave like a team that has arrived.

If the players show good temperament and work very hard and do not assume, they will do the nation proud.” The Flying Eagles’ contingent of 21 players and 10 officials will depart from Nigeria for Senegal, through Banjul (The Gambia) on Wednesday, to arrive in the early hours of Thursday.

The six-time champions will be accommodated at Hotel Ngor Diarama in Dakar, alongside Group A opponents Congo-Brazzaville and Cote D’Ivoire.