General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mohammed Sanusi, says no date has been fixed by the Presidency for the Golden Eaglets’ reception following their FIFA Under-17 triumph in Chile.
The Eaglets won a record fifth under-17 title and three runners-up to surpass Brazil which is the second most successful with three titles and two runners-up.
Ghana and Mexico have won the tournament twice.
Sanusi said in Abuja on Thursday that the glasshouse had not been communicated of the date for the reception.
“I don’t know yet, I can’t speak on something I don’t know; the simple answer is that I don’t know for now’’, he said.
On the death of Pa Sam Ibiam, Nigeria’s first national team goalkeeper, Sanusi said that the NFF would be fully involved in the burial once the family communicates the secretariat of the burial plan.
“We have never failed to honour any of our people that died, so this one is not going to be an exception.
“We are going to be part of the burial plan by the grace of God’’, he added.
He, however, urged those calling for the immortalisation of the late goalkeeper to exercise patience, noting that it was too early to make such call.
Chief Jasper Okoro, the personal media aide to the deceased, who urged the Federal Government to give the former national goalkeeper a state burial, is among those calling for his immortalisation.
Ibiam was the last surviving player of the first Nigerian National team known as the Red Devils. He died during an illness.
He was nicknamed the “Black Magnet’’ by the UK media in the 1950s when the team played Liverpool in Nigeria’s first international match.
