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President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated the Super Eagles of Nigeria on their 2-0 victory over Ethiopia on Saturday in Calabar, which booked the country’s qualification at the Brazil 2014 World Cup finals.

 A first half goal off a coolly converted penalty by Liverpool forward Victor Moses and a fiercely driven free kick in the second half by substitute Obinna Nsofor with his first touch of the game were all the Eagles needed to secure their tickets to Brazil, notwithstanding that their overall performance on the day was generally lacklustre.

 “President Jonathan joins other proud and happy Nigerians in applauding the Super Eagles' dogged and determined performance against the Ethiopians over the two legs of the final qualifying round, which ensured away and home victories, and also ensured that Nigeria will be at the World Cup Finals for the fifth time”, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati wrote in a statement.

 “The president also commends the team’s performance in all the preceding qualifying matches and the consistent commitment and dedication of the players to building on their victory at this year’s African Nations Cup by qualifying for the World Cup Finals and bringing further glory to their fatherland”.

 He added that as the team and its handlers bask in the glory of being the first African country to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, they should rededicate themselves to excelling on the global stage and reaching for heights never previously attained by the country at the World Cup finals.

 “The president believes that with the enormous pool of footballing talent available to the country, the Super Eagles can, with more hard work, dedication, resilience and further honing of their skills and tactics, fulfil the national dream of being the first African Nation to win the world cup”, Abati’s statement went on.

 “He assures the NFF and the team, of the fullest possible support of the Federal Government and all Nigerians in their quest to win even greater glory for Nigeria at the world cup finals in Brazil”.

Nigeria and Chelsea FC of England footballers, John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses (albeit on a brief loan deal at Liverpool) have been named in the five-man shortlist for the 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.

Also listed for the award, which was revealed on the BBC’s Newsday programme, are current African Footballer of the Year award holder Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.

The list was drawn up by 44 journalists across Africa and the winner, to be determined by a vote by African football fans until 18:00 GMT on 25th November 2013, will be announced on Monday, 2nd December 2013 at 17:35 GMT on the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio and television programmes.

While Obi and Moses shone in the Chelsea team that won the Europa League last season as well as the Nigerian team that won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in February, 24-year-old Aubameyang finished the 2012-13 season with 19 goals for St-Etienne and the second highest goal scorer in France only behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic. These goals helped the club win the French Cup, and they have also been flowing at his new Bundesliga club, Borrusia Dortmund, where he has scored seven goals in 11 games.

Twenty-seven-year-old Pitroipa was named AFCON player of the tournament as Burkina Faso reached the final, while Toure is an ever-present rock in the midfields of both the Ivoirian national team and dethroned English Premier League winners Manchester City.

Coach of the victorious Under-17 Nigerian team, Manu Garba has dedicated the country’s fourth U-17 World Cup trophy to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife.

Speaking inside the team’s dressing room in Al Jazira, Abu Dhabi, Manu thanked the president and his wife for their efforts on the team, recalling that only President Jonathan hosted the boys after winning silver at the African U-17 Championship.

“This trophy is for President Goodluck Jonathan, who had a strong belief in us despite the fact that we came second at the African championship,” Garba said on Friday.

“We were really fired up when he hosted us after the African Championship and we are looking forward to meeting Mr. President again with the World Cup.”

He described Jonathan as a man of luck, considering that the Super Eagles won the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) only in February 2013, ending a 19-year wait dating back to the 1994 edition in Tunisia. The coach also thanked his own wife, whom he hadn’t seen in nearly half-a-year.

“In fact, for the past four months, I was not able to see my wife because of the nature of this job and I’m so happy that all the efforts we put into this work was not in vain,” he said. “I want to use this opportunity to thank my wife for taking care of the home front.”

Manu also thanked Senator Liyel Imoke, governor of Cross River State and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Ibrahim Auwalu, among many others, for their support to the team in several ways.

 

The Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has declared that medals would not be given to participating athletes andteams in the forthcoming National Youth Games, which will take place in Abuja between December 5th and 15th, 2013.

He explained that the reason for this was to discourage cheating. ``Every athlete will get a certificate of participation, and one of the reasons we decided that there will be no medals is for contingents not to have room to bring overage children into the competition,” Abdullahi said.

 He added that, ``the moment we start giving medals, everyone leading athletes to this competition will worry about their position on the medals table. Therefore, they will do all they can to win.”

Abdullahi stated that athletes competing in the games would be those enrolled in school, as their records of enrolment would be checked properly.

The NYG is a platform created by the NSC to encourage youth participation Sports. The inaugural edition will take place in Abuja and will feature 14 sports: boxing, badminton, handball, squash, taekwondo, track and field, weightlifting, basketball, football, para-powerlifting, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and wrestling. Expected to participate at the games are 4,520 boys and girls from across the 36 states and Abuja.

Also speaking recently at the unveiling of the official mascot and logo of the games, the Senate President, David Mark, urged that more funds be allocated to sports, as it is one of the factors that unify Nigerians.

He called on the NSC to use the platform of the NYG for genuine talent identification and discovery.  ``It doesn’t matter if all the children who are going to take us to where we want are all Bolajis. If it is so, so be it.

``What we want is for them to get us what we want. It is not the name, where they come from or who sponsors them that matters.

``I think we have allowed some politics, sometimes, to get into our sporting activities and it helps to mess it up.

``So, I want to urge that we forget politics, religion and ethnicity in this talent-hunt, for us to have genuine Nigerians who will take us to where we want to be in sports,’’ Mark said.

Signed

Julius Ogunro

SA (Media and Strategy) to HM Sports

 

Members of the victorious Golden Eaglets of Nigeria have been rewarded with N2m each for winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup concluded on Friday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Similarly, Head Coach of the team, Manu Gara received a reward of N3m while his assistants got N2.5m. A sum of N500,000 went to the team doctor, team physiotherapist and team secretary, while the team coordinator, medical officer, chief technical officer and curator received N300,000 each.

President Jonathan made the announcement after receiving the trophy and shaking members and officials of the team at a reception in their honour at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

“You will also be honoured, you the team, the handlers, the coach, and the officials including some key members of the supporters club and the Nigeria Football Association will be rewarded when we give national honours”, the president said.

He particularly appreciated the team for dominating the world convincingly despite only emerging second best on the continent before the world cup.

 “Nigeria is now the only country to win the U-17 world cup four times and create a new record of 26 goals”, he added.

 “However amidst our joy and celebration, we must underline that the enduring test of the victory we have achieved will be the progress of these players. We have been doing very well at the junior level. If we can conquer the world at U-17, there is no reason why we cannot conquer the world at the highest level.

“Our celebration today will be short-lived if we don’t progress to win U-20, and of course the Senior Eagles that will represent us at subsequent tournaments. You cannot afford to relax on today’s laurels”.

Also speaking, Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi described Jonathan as the most successful of all presidents in the area of sports, courtesy of his transformation agenda.

“This team is a work in progress”, he said. If properly managed, the future of Nigeria football is secured for the next 10 years with these boys”.

Government officials present at the reception include Governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada; Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio; and Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim also attended.

 

The Golden Eaglets on Friday recorded a 3-0 win over defending champions Mexico at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi to become the most successful team in the FIFA U-17 World Cup with four titles.

The Eaglets had walloped Mexico 6-1 in their opening Group F encounter, consequently making the final a rematch that the Mexicans promised to utilise in revenging the earlier defeat.

El tri managed the first chance on goal of the encounter, when Osvaldo Rodriguez crossed from the left only for Alejandro Diaz to shoot off the right post. Then Ivan Ochoa forced the best out of Dele Alampasu with a glancing header that the keeper tipped over the bar.

However, it was the Eaglets who took the lead off a counter attack led by star midfielder Kelechi Iheanacho, who then fed the ball to striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Awoniyi in turn laid the ball for Musa Yahaha who was about to hit it when Erick Aguirre hit it into his own net.

Yahaya rattled the crossbar with a stunning effort from 20 yards much later while Awoniyi’s fantastic bicycle-kick was stopped by goalkeeper Raul Gudino.

Nigeria scored the second goal on 56 minutes, when Captain Muhammed’s swirling shot was parried by Gudino, allowing Iheanacho to stab home first time. Muhammed himself got his name on the scorers’ sheet 20 minutes from time, leaving the goalkeeper sprawling as his sublime free-kick landed in the top corner.

 

 

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria on Friday qualified for the knockout phase of the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates, after drubbing group whipping boys, Iraq 5-0 in the final Group F encounter.

 In the match played at the Rasheed Dubai Stadium, Dubai, Manu Garba’s boys scored two goals in the opening four minutes, and then added two more to bring first-half scores to four nil. A fifth goal in the final minute of regulation time confirmed Nigeria’s dominance in the match and worthy winners of the group.

In the other Group F match played simultaneously, Mexico defeated Sweden by a lone goal to clinch second place behind Nigeria; while losers of the day, Sweden managed to qualify with four points as one of the best third-placed losers.

 The Eaglets’ display attracted plaudits from President Goodluck Jonathan, who congratulated them and urged them to maintain the exemplary dedication, commitment and resilience they have exhibited thus far in the competition until ultimate victory is achieved.

“The president urges the Eaglets and their handlers to prepare very well and hone their acknowledged skills and soccer artistry even further to overcome all their remaining opponents in the competition and bring the Under-17 World Cup back home to Nigeria once again,” Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati wrote in a statement.

“He assures them of the fullest possible support of the Federal Government and all Nigerians as they continue in the competition and trusts that they will keep on giving Nigerians great joy and pride with victorious performances in coming matches.”

The Eaglets — with the record of highest number of appearances at the final of the U-17 World Cup, winning three and losing three — next play Iran, who finished second behind Argentina in Group E, in a round-of-16 clash on Tuesday 29th October 2013 in Al Ain at 5pm Nigerian time; and will be favourites to advance to the quarter finals.

 

More Articles ...

  1. Eaglets Remain Top of Group after Thrilling Draw with Sweden
  2. Jonathan Congratulates Eaglets after Routing Mexico
  3. NFF Bans Ogunjobi for 10 Years, Baribote for 15
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