The Golden Eaglets would engage Fasbir Football Academy at the Giginya Memorial Stadium in Sokoto on Wednesday in their last domestic friendly match before travelling to Niamey for the 2015 African U-17 Championship to be held between February 15 and March.
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said here that it was imperative to play a local club partly as a token of appreciation for their hospitality to the team by fans and football stakeholders since their arrival on Friday. “We are going to give our best against Fasbir FC,” said Amuneke.
“Apart from using this match as an opportunity to see the readiness of our players, we want to also appreciate the people of Sokoto for their support to us since we arrive here.”
On the road to Niger 2015, the Golden Eaglets are yet to lose after 25 domestic friendly matches and recently defeated Nigeria National League side, Sokoto United, 2-0 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on January 17.
Therefore, prestige would be at stake when the two teams confront each other for obvious reasons.
Fasbir FC- which is owned by Mallam Mohammed Nasir Saidu, the Assistant Director, Legislative Budget at the National Assembly and chairman of Sokoto Football Association – is a strong side having lost just three times after 30 matches and were recently forced to a 2-2 draw by Sokoto United.
Yet Speaking ahead of the eagerly awaited match by Sokoto fans,
Fasbir FC Team Manager, Abdullahi Isah Ilyasu said the match would be an opportunity for his young team to learn few things from the Golden Eaglets: “We are really looking forward to the match against the Golden Eaglets since it would expose our players to what is expected at this level, I mean playing for the national team.
“Fasbir FC is a young team formed about two years ago but we have been impressive too even against teams from Niger and we are going todo our best again on Wednesday,” he noted.
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