-Flying Eagles Arrive Egypt for Training
COACH of U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, Manu Garba, on Monday warned the players to shape up in their preparations or be flushed out of the team.
In a statement by the team’s spokesperson, Morakinyo Abodunrin, the coach said only fit and battle-ready players would be picked to represent the country at the forthcoming championship.
The Eaglets had on Feb. 2, resumed camping in Calabar in preparation for the U-17 African Youth Championship scheduled for Morocco from April 13 to 27.
”The past two weeks have been good and have given us the chance to ascertain the fitness of the players and it is expected that some would have lost some grounds.
”I want to state it clear to you that only the best players will eventually be picked from the 30 jostling for the available 21 slots for the continental cadet competition.
”Our objective remains the same, to qualify for the World Cup as African champions, and as such, we are going to pick the best players that would give us the desired result.”
Meanwhile, Garba said that the door “is finally closed for screening of players for the championship”.
”Apart from the 30 players officially invited, some uninvited youngsters who came to the Saint Patrick College training ground were given the opportunity to display what they are capable of doing.
“I am satisfied with what I have on ground because time is no longer on our side.
“There is no hanky-panky about our team’s selection and that is why we have been transparent enough to allow those uninvited players to train with us.
”But the door is finally closed and hopefully we can do this again after our qualification for the World Cup if we need reinforcement,” he said.
News of the development come as Nigeria Under-20 male team, the Flying Eagles, on Monday arrived Cairo, in preparation for the Africa Youth Championship which holds in Algeria from March 16 to 30.
A statement signed by the Media Officer of the Flying Eagles, Samm Audu, in Abuja revealed that the team and its technical crew had booked into the Baron Hotel in Heliopolis and arrived in an unfriendly cold weather in Egypt.
According to the statement, the team will play two warm-up matches against their Egyptian counterparts on Wednesday and Friday at the Degla Stadium in Cairo.
Egypt, which placed third at the 2011 championship in South Africa, are drawn in Group A at the 2013 competition, while defending champions, Nigeria, are in Group B.
According to the statement, the first match on Wednesday would kick off by 2 p.m. Nigeria time, while the second game on Friday at the Salam Stadium, would begin at 7 p.m. Nigeria time.
It also said that Nigeria will train at the Cairo International Stadium practice pitch on Tuesday.
“The Flying Eagles will depart Egypt on Saturday for Tunisia for a three-week training before it will arrive in Algeria for the championship which will kick off on March 16,” the statement concluded.