Golden Eaglets

The national Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets have settled down at the ASPIRE Academy Centre in Doha, Qatar as they embark on a three-week training tour  ahead of  the 2013  CAN Under-17 Championship to be  hosted in Morocco between  April13 and 27.

A  team of 26 players and 10 officials accompanied  by Colonel Sam Ahmedu, Director  Aspire Football Dreams Nigeria, who departed the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos  Wednesday’s afternoon aboard Qatar Airways,  touched down at  the massive Doha International Airport  at
11.15pm local time (9:15pm Nigerian time) after a six-hour flight.

Weather temperature on arrival in Doha on Wednesday was 22°C which incidentally is about the expected condition in Morocco in April.

Four more players are expected to join the team later to complete a list of 30 that would jostle for the 21 available slots for the continental cadet competition.

Meanwhile, Head coach, Manu Garba (MFR), has enthused here that the idyllic Aspire Academy Centre is more than an ideal site to prepare his wards for the forthcoming competition, adding that the players stand to benefit more from exposure to the highly-rated facilities at the complex.

“The Aspire Centre can only inspire us to succeed in Morocco,” Garba stated matter-of-factly after walking round the expansive complex in company with officials.

“This is a good camping site for us since the players can be focussed with no distraction.”

Indeed, officials and players were marvelled at the grandeur and grace which is the hallmark of the Aspire Academy Centre.

“If you can’t play football here, you can’t play anywhere,” reckons Suleiman Abubakar, the Golden Eaglets’ team coordinator. “Coming here would help our boys and we must thank the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for availing the team this opportunity.”