Nigeria’s U15 boys, nicknamed Future Eagles, will fly into Spain on Tuesday afternoon for a UEFA U16 Development Tournament to which the African giants have been invited.
The special invitation has come as a result of Nigeria’s pedigree in youth football, in which she has won five world titles at U17 boys’ level and reached the FIFA World Cup final on two occasions at U20 level.
As part of its preparation for the tournament, the Future Eagles trained for a week at the Remo Stars’ Sports Institute in Ikenne, during which it played two matches against the Remo Stars’ U16 boys (Beyond Limits FC), winning one and losing the other.
Only last month, the Future Eagles, coached by Patrick Bassey, also won one and lost one against their Moroccan counterparts on a two-match tour of that North African country. Their first game ended in a 2-3 defeat, but they buckled up to win the second game 5-3 in the city of Kenitra.
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The UEFA U16 Tournament, which brings warm memories of the UEFA-CAF U17 Meridian Tournament that started in 1997 but was discontinued a decade later, will take place at the Pinatar Arena Football Centre in San Pedro del Pinatar.
It can be recalled that the UEFA-CAF Meridian Tournament was part of a cooperation agreement between UEFA and CAF, and Nigeria won the inaugural tournament in 1997. The Eaglets defeated the Spain U17 team 3-2 in the final in Lisbon, Portugal.
Spain won the next three tournaments hosted by South Africa (1999), Italy (2001) and Egypt (2003) before France broke their run by winning the 2005 edition hosted by Turkey. The tournament was abolished in 2007.
At this new tournament, the Future Eagles will play against Belgium on Friday, 12th April (8pm), face Italy on Sunday, 14th April (8pm) and square up to England on Wednesday, 17th April (1pm). Other games will see England against Italy on Friday, 12th April 5 pm), England against Belgium on Sunday, 14th April (5pm) and Italy against Belgium on Wednesday, 17th April (11am).
The Future Eagles’ delegation to Spain, inclusive of 20 players, will be led by Zannah Mohammed Malah, a member of the NFF Technical and Development Committee.
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COMMENTS
VISA denied make una rest!
NFFmagomago NFFjibiti couldn’t even help three boys get visa. Corruption is their sex. Useless people
NFF ONIRANU.
So Nigeria will not be at the tournament in Spain because of denied visas? Hahahaha, let me laugh because it’s better than crying.
How was this allowed to happen?
Is this where incompetence has now landed us? Officials failing to do the needful to ensure that these boys’ visas are obtained. This is a new low.
So now the future of our FUTURE EAGLES has been jeopardized. Thanks to NFF incompetence.
Or are they nonchalant regarding this tournament because their is not much money sharing opportunities?
This NFF just keep soaring to greater heights. Last time, they could not broadcast an Olympic qualifier THAT WE HOSTED. Now, our boys denied visas, UNDER THEIR WATCH.
Mind you, we are still waiting for the new SE coach, with crucial world cup qualifiers just a couple of months away!
Hahaha, what will NFF ONIRANU scatter next? Stay tuned. When it comes to confusion, they never disappoint!
The Spanish embassy denied the team visa because they thought a few of the players were not really 15 years old. Very surprising that a sports website like CSN couldn’t provide the “why” of the story, but instead decided to do fillers with fluffy and unnecessary information on the team’s past matches.
When we talk about age cheating and Nigerian teams institutionalized by “coaches” like Bosso and Siasia, it seems some of us are unpatriotic. Now, the chances of producing a solid U-17 team are up in smoke. The shattered glass house has not even been able to get a coach for the U17 up till now cos it’s too difficult a task but have quickly re-settled for Bosso for U20 without giving others a chance to apply.
Let’s not even talk about the SE coach. It’s going to be a fire brigade 1 or 2 weeks to the WCQ with SA. As usual, everything is now in jeopardy. They almost bungled the girls’ Olympic ticket, but somehow, grace has been seeing the team through even though it seems they’re orphans with no parent FA.
If NFF ONIRANU had done a thorough job of vetting all the players and providing all the supporting documents for each player, the visas would have been approved.
The Spanish Embassy has no choice. If our documents are in order, THEY MUST APPROVE.
There likely was magomago involved, which the Spanish embassy noticed. And once they find just one case of corruption, they can rightly say they no longer trust the documents provided for all the others. Hence the blanket denial of visas.
This is a big shame indeed.
Very true. After closely zooming into the pictures, anyone even in an embassy would know on the average a 15 year old Nigerian lad.
I presume MRI scans were too expensive for NFF to carry out on those guys and perhaps were requirements for the Spanish tour.
Just like what several persons posted here, NFF are only after monies to share and didn’t do the needful to get appropriate documents.
NFF statement on this was callous – blaming Spanish embassy for their ineffectiveness.
Remember when a faceless writer said it is the turn of a northern coach for the super Eagles? I bet, Gusau and his incompetent glasshouse bunch are currently angling for second term and knowing how insufferable Nigerians can be, those bunch of inadequate might win again.
Stuck!
Hahahaha Pompei…? Why spend money to fly the team to Europe when there is no $4m prize money at stake….?
Let me also add this:
Take a look at the pictures of these under 15 lads on all the sites that reported this issue. The photos are very different.
Most likely, corrupt NFF might have tried to smuggle in new faces, kids of cronies into the list and the plans went awry.
NFF should be blamed. Careless and remorseless bunch.
Exactly. Just a casual zoom in and you’ll see the faces of kids they’ve tried to smuggle in. How do you tell me these ones were born in 2008 here? Haba!
NFF’s response was a very terse, glib, casual, off-handed, we-don’t-really-care tweet. SO TYPICAL. SAFA and SABC tendered an apology to their countrymen for their inability to broadcast the eye-straining streaming. The host country and FA didn’t give a hoot. They didn’t apologize cos they’re not accountable to no one. They can always get away with anything.
I just don’t know how Nigerians can sack these people from office without incurring FIFA’s wrath. Like @pomepi says, FIFA should make an exception with Nigeria. It’s like keeping a goat in charge of a barn of yams with no supervision.
Sly, you just hit the nail on the head!