The Minister For Youth and Sports Development, Honourable Sunday Dare has congratulated the Nigeria U-17 men’s team, Golden Eaglets for their triumph in the just concluded 2022 WAFU B U-17 tournament held in Ghana.
Recall, that Nigeria won all their matches in the tournament including a 2-1 win against their Burkina Faso counterparts to win the regional trophy at the Cape Coast Stadium in Ghana last week.
While receiving the victorious boys in Abuja on Tuesday morning, Sunday Dare lauded the Golden Eaglets for doing the nation proud and winning the tournament in a convincing manner.
In his keynote address, he also charged the young lads to emulate their predecessors by working hard and preparing very well for the 2023 U-17 AFCON billed for Algeria to pick a ticket for next year’s U-17 World Cup so they can win the Youth Championship and maintain Nigeria dominance in the age category.
The exclusive talking points at the reception read;
1. Congratulations to you, the Golden Eaglets for doing the nation proud in Cape Coast, Ghana. Winning the WAFU B U17 tournament is praiseworthy on its own, doing it so convincingly in Ghana is even more soul-lifting and heartwarming.
2. I want to specially commend the coaching crew led by a living legend himself, Nduka Ugbade, and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) for the hard work they put into making this success a reality.
3. Just a little over a month ago, we were here to host your seniors, the U20 team who won the WAFU B U20 tournament in Niamey, Niger Republic. Clearly, something is being done right….the appointment of competent coaches by the NFF, the creation of a conducive environment for the coaches to work, and the emphasis of our Ministry on grassroots sports development.
4. Our focus on grassroots sports development is yielding very positive results for us not just in football but in all sports. Athletics, Table Tennis, Tennis, Badminton, Scrabble, and Wrestling are some examples.
5. Dear Golden Eaglets, while we celebrate your success in Cape Coast, Ghana, remember this is just the beginning. You are regional champions now. There are bigger, tougher, more demanding, and more challenging tasks ahead of you.
6. Work and prepare harder than you have ever done to pick a ticket to the U17 World Cup in Algeria at the U17 AFCON next year. It will be good for you to become continental champions there. After that, we will face the next hurdle. The standard set for you is high.
7. Since your coach lifted the U17 World Cup in 1985, Nigeria has won it four more times in 1993, 2007, 2013, and 2015. My hope is that you do it again.
8. Let me end by telling you once again that we are very proud of you. You were outstanding all through. Stay humble, focused, hardworking, and obedient to your coaches, and remember there is a lot ahead of you in your careers.
