The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Sunday Dare has tasked the Nigeria Football Federation to adequately prepare the U20 boys, Flying Eagles, to challenge for the FIFA U20 World Cup trophy in Indonesia in a few weeks.
Hon. Dare threw the challenge to the NFF and Head Coach Ladan Bosso at a reception hosted for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations bronze medallists at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Monday.
“You have returned from Egypt with the bronze medals and the FIFA World Cup ticket, and a few other prizes, but the FIFA World Cup is in a few weeks and I want you to focus your mind on winning it for Nigeria for the first time. I understand Ghana is the only African country that has won the FIFA U20 World Cup. If Ghana can win it, why not Nigeria?
“I am happy about your performance in Egypt because you were able to come from a position of adversity – a depressing loss to The Gambia in the semi final – to fire on all cylinders to defeat Tunisia for the bronze medals. That is the spirit that the Government and people of Nigeria want you to take to the World Cup. We are on the same page with the NFF on adequate preparation of our National Teams for matches and competitions, and I believe they will provide you with good-enough preparation for the global finals in Indonesia.”
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Head Coach Bosso praised the Minister for his fatherly love, encouragement and support for the team since hosting the team to a similar reception after it won the WAFU B U20 Championship in Niamey 10 months ago.
“We are always encouraged by your inspiring and motivating words, and the length you go to simply to support the team and our dreams. I told you after the victory in Niamey that our target was doing well at the AFCON in order to earn a FIFA World Cup ticket. Now, just as I told the Nigeria Ambassador to Egypt in Cairo on Saturday, I want you to know that our fresh target is doing very well at the FIFA World Cup,” Bosso said. All players and team officials were at the reception, bar Belgium-based Ahmed Abdullahi, who is back at his base in Europe.
Also at the reception were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar; Director of Federations and Elite Athletes Department, Dr. Simon Ebhojiaye; Chairman of the IMC, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye; Chief of Staff to the Hon. Minister, Alhaji Abba Abdullahi Yola; NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire and; NFF’s Head of International Competitions, Dayo Enebi Achor.
The Flying Eagles will go on a short break before reconvening for their final preparations for the FIFA World Cup, taking place in Indonesia, 20th May – 11th June.
11 Comments
I don’t have anything to say about this set of over age players called under 20. This is not how you develop football NFF.
We have a better young set of players that can represent Nigeria at this level, but we all know that NFF and the coaching crew will not bring the best to represent our beloved country.
I know it will take time to eradicate corruption in Nigeria, but one day will be one God will answer our prayers. A new set of people will come in and free Nigerians from this calamity we found ourselves. Hmm. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Still don’t understand why Ladan Bosso was appointed to coach the Flying Eagles….. The moment he was appointed, I had no expectation and I won’t have any of the Flying Eagles in the World Cup until maybe they overhaul the entire team from the coaching staff to the players.. He did it with the team years ago and failed. He Ladan, will fail again. You can’t give what you don’t have.
Calm down wow!What a demanding people!
Bosso did a good job of securing a World Cup ticket and finished in the podium with an emphatic victory against Tunisia hammering them 4nil yet you guys are revolting against the poor coach who worked so hard to give us a team of warriors.
Let me make it clear to you,youth tournaments is not always about winning rather discovering of talents for the senior team and in these Bosso’s team there’re 5 players who are potential super eagles.
Let me remind you we had coaches that have failed to even qualify for the World Cup at this category yet head did not roll but Bosso made it 3 out of 3 yet everyone is having a go at the poor man that was how you guys chased Rohr away from the super eagles and you got punished with Eguavoen what a demanding people Nigerians!Nothing ever goes right in that country.You want the entire team out and the coaching crew so are you the one to coach an entire new team to success two months to a major tournament?
Man dem @Greenturf. You are one of the mostly highly respected forumites. Your support of Bosso is commendable. If he gets his acts together, Nigeria will win the World Cup.
May Bosso continually be blessed with heavenly greatness.
………………………………..COPIED……………………………………… Former Enugu Rangers defender, Ousmane Sane Pape, has given reasons why Senegal are champions of African football in various categories at the moment.
Senegal have in recent times won the African Beach Nations Cup, African Nations Championship (CHAN), AFCON U20 and AFCON itself.
Ousmane, who has retired from football and now resides in home country Senegal, said the present Senegal Football Federation President, Augustin Senghor, is doing the job with every sincerity.
“The Président of thé fédération, Augustin Senghor is doing a great job. He is sincere with the coaches appointment, he does it on merit. He is also working hard on grassroots football,” he posited.
Ousmane also thumbed up the manner of appointing coaches for Senegalese teams. “He is also sincere with his appointment of coaches and taking grassroots football seriously.”
The retired footballer stressed that the league in Senegal has improved and is the bedrock of football development of the country.
“There are a lot of changes in our league compared to when I played there,” he concluded.
Can we.in Nigeria be sincere with coaches appointments?…Can we?
Frank smith thanks for sharing the same view with me. Bosso and his minister are all clowns. Is that a team if i may ask? It is only in nigeria that people keep praising and celebrate failure. World cup is not for such a bunch of blunt and untalented team. They will see shame when the world cup commences. Greedy and sentimental people who think national team coaching appointment should be given to people like bosso who has no credible track record is fixing a square peg in a round hole.
Hello Beauties. Nigeria will win the World Cup. Put your money on it. We were just unlucky to lose to Gambia. The Flying Eagles would have defeated Senegal in the final easily. Xxx
Easily beat Senegal, what pride! You can sit in your living room and say that, but our young people who faced the young Senegalese in the field for 90 minutes, who were mistreated everywhere, having only one shot on target will not say that. It is by accepting the superiority of the adversary that we advance, not by being proud! Against Senegal in terms of net chances if everything is counted it was 5 goals to 1. If the Senegalese attackers weren’t clumsy, we would take a big beating. This Senegalese is far superior to our youngsters whom we overestimated, because until now we have come across less strong opponents. As soon as we met stronger opponents, we saw the result, so we must remain modest and try to work instead of continuing to blindly believe that we are the best. It’s shocking to say that we were going to easily beat Senegal in the final, it proves that you haven’t understood anything about football. I say, I’m not even talking about Nigeria, but no team can easily beat these young Senegalese, their federation has worked well, their training has nothing to do with ours! So let’s face the truth, what we believed about our young people, more powerful, stronger, is false. Let’s be modest and work! We saw a Senegalese team with impressive statistics, no goals conceded, beat all their opponents, scored 14 goals, beat the Gambia who beat us and despite everything you continue to be chauvinistic to say that we can easily beat this team. Meanwhile, they work quietly and get results, while we supporters and leaders are proud!
Darling Yobu, if Nigeria meets Senegal in the world cup, we will win by 3 goals to nothing. Have faith, Lovey. Xxx
Keep dreaming, Lando knows more than any other the limits of this team and its players against certain teams! As a reminder, it was this Senegalese who took us out in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup 2 goals to 1. So I invite you to be more modest in your forecast.
Whether we admit it or not, this Senegal is on top, and if we lead this same team without changing anything, I’m not even talking about Senegal, but it’s other small teams that will send us home !