By Daily Sports on November 12, 2015

Thousands of sports fans in Abuja on Wednesday converged on the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport to welcome the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup champions, Golden Eaglets.

The Eaglets had won the title in Chile on Sunday after defeating Mail 2-0 in the final match, for Nigeria’s fifth title win.

The fans cheered lustily as the players and their officials disembarked from the plane which brought them from Lagos, where they had earlier been received on arrival from Chile.

The Eaglets were later taken in a motorcade on a road show on some major streets of Abuja metropolis.

Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut, while welcoming the Eaglets at the airport, had said the players have further entrenched Nigeria on the world football map.

He said this was by Nigeria setting the record of winning the title back-to-back, after having won in 2013 in the UAE.

“The boys have put us above other countries in Africa and in the world, since they are the first country to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup back-to-back, and this is why we are celebrating.

“Nigeria is the best country and that is why we are celebrating this arrival.”

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari, who returned to the country’s helm of affairs on May 29, has come with lots of good luck for the country.

“President Buhari is one president that comes with lots of luck for this country.

“In the last three weeks, it has been sports successes for us across the whole world in every sports Nigeria participated in, and we are looking forward to more.”

He disclosed that the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalong, would host the Eaglets to a dinner later in the day at the Transcorp Hilton.

Yakmut said President Buhari would later receive the Eaglets on a date to be fixed later.

In a related development, two ex- internationals on Wednesday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to reward the Golden Eaglets squad that won the maiden FIFA Youth Championship in China.

Nigeria, in 1985, won the maiden championship, which started as U-16, but was later changed to U-17 tournament.

The former players, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, praised the president for remembering the effort of the team that announced the country to the football world.

Christian Chukwu, who was the assistant coach of the team at the championship, told NAN that the news came as a big surprise to him, coming 30 years after Buhari made the promise.

Chukwu urged past sporting heroes not to lose hope, saying that “their reward would come someday.

“God will bless the president for his kind gesture of remembering us for our contribution to football development in the country.”

Bright Omokoro, a former Super Eagles player, also commended the president for the decision to fulfil the promise to reward the team.

Omokoro appealed to the president to extend his kind gesture to other past sports heroes, to encourage upcoming ones.

“For him to remember the team is good and this will go a long way to encourage the present generation in sports.”

Nigeria has won the competition five times since its inception in 1985.

Buhari was the military Head of State when the country won the competition in 1985.

He promised to reward each player and official with a house and told state governors to name a street after each player in his state of origin.

Buhari was, however, overthrown before he fulfilled the promise he made to the victorious team.

The team was coached by Sebastine Brodricks-Imasuen, assisted by Chukwu and the late Bala Shamaki. (NAN)

•Photo shows world champions, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria.

Source News Express

Posted November 12, 2015

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