The Golden Eaglets would have to be at the top of their game when a team bankrolled by former militant chief, Asari Dokubo hit Calabar for a friendly game at the main bowl of the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Amakson Football Academy has already earned their name when they won the maiden NIMPET Football Competition involving 16 registered football academies within the Federal Capital Territory; Abuja. Emmanuel Bishop Amakiri, an ex-militant who also doubles as the financier and coach of the academy, has boasted that the code name for their mission to Calabar on Sunday is: ‘Operation sting the Eaglets.’
In a conversation with the Golden Eaglets’ Head coach, Manu Garba, Amakiri was quoted as saying that his boys are desirous of ending the winning streak of the National Under-17 team.
The Eaglets remained unbeaten yet on the domestic scene after playing a total of 21 matches and their recent victim was the Enugu-based First Best Farmers (FBF) Football Club who were beaten 8-3 on Thursday.
“I have said repeatedly that you have a good team in the Golden Eaglets and I’m not surprised about your recent victories; but it is not going to be the same thing when we play against you on Sunday,” Amakiri reportedly said. “We are going to give you a tough match on Sunday; you can mark my words on that.”
In a related development, former Nigerian international and Enyimba FC midfield Trojan, Romanus Orjinta has praised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and its Under-17 coaching crew for assembling the country’s youngest team ever.
Orjinta who is the coach of FBF, said in a post match session against the Golden Eaglets that he was pleasantly surprised about the youthfulness and quality of the team.
“I’m so impressed with the standard of the Golden Eaglets despite the fact that we lost against them,” said Orjinta, a 2003 winner of the CAF Champions League trophy with Enyimba. “You have a very young team and I could see that a lot of work had gone into the team by the coaching crew.
“We wish the team a successful outing at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup
in the UAE,” he concluded.
