Eaglets Return To Full Training In Calabar

Nigeria’s Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, resumed training at their base in Calabar on Tuesday barely hours after they returned to the country from Libreville where they lost 2-1 to their Gabonese counterparts.

The contingent, who actually left Libreville on Monday for Lome aboard ASKY Airline, breezed into Lagos in the night through neighbouring Cotonou but finally arrived Calabar midday on Tuesday aboard Arik Airlines to begin preparations in earnest for the finale qualifier against Gabon next week.

Head Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said it was important to resume training immediately in view of the enormity of the task ahead even as he enjoined the players to give their utmost best in the days.

Golden Eaglets with some officials at Dreamland Park

“I want you to put behind all that happened in Libreville because that is gone,” Amuneke said.”I want you to know that we are condemned to win our match here and you must be focused on everything we are going to do from now.

“What we demand of you is hard work and nothing but hard work; because we want you to show Gabon that you don’t need to be aided by referee to win matches.

“We believe in you and we want you to apply yourself because we are going to undergo strenuous work in the coming days as we build up towards the match,” he warned.

Meanwhile, seven players who failed to make 18-man list to Libreville have vowed to pull their socks in order to be part of the second leg encounter against Gabon.

Dr. Sam Iheanacho with the Golden Eaglets shortly before the team’s training session

“We are happy that our teammates and other officials are safely backed in Calabar but the good thing is that we too have been working even while they were away in Gabon,” stated defensive midfielder, Henry Okebugwu.”We would keep working hard and pay serious attention to the
training programs because we know the coaches would only select the best against Gabon.”

Golden Eaglets Beat Promising Ace FC 1-0

Nigeria’s Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, on Saturday wrought another win courtesy of a first half goal by winger Promise Orji against a promising Kaduna-based Ace Football Club at the Abraham Ordia Stadium inside the University of Calabar.

“Maybe we would have even played better than we did against the Golden Eaglets today,”volunteered Ace FC’s Coach Al-Amin Ibn-Musa.”We didn’t arrive Calabar until the early hours of the day but that should not take anything away from the victory of the Golden Eaglets because they played a good match against us.”

Both team used the early part of the match to size up each other but it was Ace FC that nearly went in front in the 10th minute after Uzama Douglas conceded a free kick in front of the Golden Eaglets’ goal area; but goalkeeper Ebuka Nwokeocha making just his second starting line up held firmly to Shefiu Dauda’s resultant free kick.

Then in the 39th minute, Eaglets’ midfielder, Jack Ipalibo finally came out of his shell by snaking his way through the left flank before slicing a cross on the path of Orji; who cleverly evaded on rushing Ace’s defender, Christopher Nwaeze, before hitting the ball behind goalkeeper Nurudeen Mudashir.

golden Eaglets line up against Egypt in Cairo.

Thereafter, there were few chances in between but it was Nwokeocha’s agility that robbed the Kaduna lads the opportunity of getting the needed equalizer time and again. In the 79th, Nwokoecha deflected a goal-bound shot from Nwaze and equally did a Yeoman’s job in the 85th minute when he punched away a blind header by Peter Obochi.

Yet unimpressed with the team’s overall performance, Coach Emmanuel Amuneke gave his wards ‘hairdryer’ asking them to gird their loins in the days ahead:”We don’t need to remind you every time that this is a national team and there is a certain standard expected from us but I’m
not impressed with your performance today.

“Of course, we are constantly evaluating ourselves with this sort of matches and we must continue to show why we are in the national team with better performance always, “advised the former African Footballer of the Year.

Golden Eaglets Vs. Ace FC

E. Nwokeocha-A. Mohamed; A. Usman. Ipalibo; A.Bamidele; D.Uzama;
K.Michael; P.Orji; S.Abdullahi; E.Osinachi; V.Osimhen