Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, the Honourable Sports Minister and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) has predicted a bright future for the Golden Eaglets and indeed Nigerian football, describing the national Under-17 team as ‘a project dear to my heart.’
Speaking with the team in company of Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the NFF’s President barely hours after arriving Dubai ahead of their 3-0 semi-final victory over Sweden, the Minister said the players have shown in the course of time that they would go places if they remained disciplined.
“I took so much pride in this team since the first day you started assembling the players last year and I’m so happy about what you have collectively achieved,” he said.”Everybody has been saying it that you are the future of Nigerian football and you have proved it with your performance here.”
The Minister maintained that the Golden Eaglets are indeed hope bearers while giving special commendation to the team’s technical crew.
“I want to thank the coaching crew led by Manu Garba for being able to put together this team because we can see that a lot of hard work has gone into this team.” he explained. “You are lucky to have this array of coaches working with you but you must maintain good conduct and discipline to fulfil your potentialities.”
Going forward, the minister enjoined the Golden Eaglets to fight their way through to be crowned world champions as did their predecessors who won in 1985, 1993 and 2007 He stated matter-of-factly:” In time to come, nobody would remember there was one Bolaji Abdullahi who was sports minister. But you would write your names in the annals of Nigerian history like Nduka Ugbade
whom people still talk about today despite winning this trophy in 1985; so just go out there and do your best.”
He said he was in the UAE to lend his fatherly support to the team’s bid to emerge world champions and has therefore pledged to double the team’s winning allowance for both the semis and final matches.
