FIFA Under 17 World Cup: Eaglets good for glory

 

The 2013 FIFA Under 17 World Cup will be the fifteenth tournament of the competition. It will be held in the United Arab Emirates between October 17 and November 8, 2013 with six host cities.
In addition to the host nation, United Arab Emirates, 23 nations qualified from six separate continental competitions. 

The concept of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup has purely been designed as a developmental programme for football federations to discover budding talents and groom them through the ranks to the senior level. 

Over the years, since 1985 when it started in far away China, the competition has continued to unravel new and future stars like Kanu Nwankwo a former African footballer of the year and Africa’s most decorated footballer.
When the competition started in 1985 it had 24 teams in attendance with Nigeria winning the maiden edition and coicincidentally, Nigeria and Brazil have won the competition three times each.
Nigeria has also been runners-up three times, while Brazil has been runners up twice, while Ghana and Mexico the defending champions have won the competition twice. 

The United States of America has appeared in all the 14 editions of the competiton 1985 – 2011 and is the only country to do so. Brazil has appeared 13 times while Argentina and Australia have appeared 11 times.
Mexico is the first and only host team that has won the competition on home soil (2011) and they won it with a perfect record with seven straight wins.
France’s Fiorent Sinama-Pongolle in the 2001 edition and Souleymane Coullibaly from Cote d’Ivoire in the 2011 edition hold the record for the goals scored by a player in a single tournament scoring 9 goals. 

Germany holds the record for most goals scored by a team in a single tournament with 24 goals in the 2011 tournament hosted by Mexico while Canada’s Quallan Roberts holds the record as the only goalkeeper to score a goal at the tournament and in any FIFA 11 a side tournament, scoring the equalizer in the 87th minute against England on June 22, 2011.
In terms of performances by continental zones, Africa is the most successful continental zone with five tournament wins even as the 1993 final was contested by two Africa teams, the only ocassion when the final has been contested by two teams from the same confederation. 

Apart from Kanu Nwankwo, other notable stars produced from the FIFA Under 17 World Cup include Marcel Witeczek from Germany in 1985 at China with eight goals, Philip Osondu from Nigeria with five goals at Canada 1987, Adriano of Brazil with four goals at Scotland 1989 and Fiorent Sinama Pongolle of France in 2011 with 9 goals at Trividad and Tobago.
Other notable stars include Cesc Fabregas in the 2003 edition in Finland with five goals, Chrisantus Macauley in 2007 in Korea with 7 goals and Sani Emmanuel with five goals at Nigeria 2009. 

For the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria at the present edition, they have been adjudged the best so far after the class of 1993 and the expectations from Nigerian soccer fans in the next three weeks would be a re-enactment of their scintilating form from the qualifiers to the African under 17 World Cup and the overhaul of the team. 

Your sincerely had the opportunity of a one-on-one interaction with these lads and I am truly impressed that coach Garba Manu and his technical crew of Nduka Ugbade and Emmanuel Amunike would be churning out genuine cadet players to adorn the colours of this great sports loving nation. 

The Eaglets who are drawn in Group F alongside Mexico the defending champions, Iraq and Sweden play their opening match on October 19 at the Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium in Al Ain. 

A lot is expected from this side who have shown exciting promise as we look forward to a successful transition to the Flying Eagles in the next two years and it is strongly believed that the team will compliment the success story of their seniors, the national team who are African Champions and provide another tonic as the Eagles seek qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 

Soccer pundits from across the globe have tipped the Eaglets for glory. Only last week, Pablo Coira, a member of the 1999 FIFA under 20 team for Spain tipped the Eaglets for success having watched them train at Dubai. 

The duo of Chidera Ezeh and Taiwo Awoniyi who spoke recently in Dubai at the team’s training camp has stated that “we are here on a mission and to make up for what one lost at the African Championship in Morocco and with out collective effort, we shall overcome”, Awoniyi said.
The highest goal scorer in the team, Isaac Success stated that there is unity in the team with a common goal to achieve good result with nine of the boys interested in becoming a hero. 

“We are looking forward to the FIFA Under 17 World Cup with great optimism as a team and I think this is far greater than the ambition of any one of us” said Success who is the Golden Eaglets vice captain.
Such words on the unity of the team especially the emphasis on collective efforts and not individual display would guide the team to another record breaking display in the United Arab Emirate. 

The support and preparation of the team has been overwhelming and they have no excuse to fail. They represent a new generation of our football heroes and we believe in their indepth qualities to propel Nigeria to glory. 

The Nigeria Football Federation must be commended for their total support to the development of the team likewise the overwhelming support of sponsorship from corporate institutions and individuals to lift the team.
The motivational role of inspirational ambassador Kanu. Nwankwo to the team remains a strong depth to propel the players to walk in the path of this great player. 

I also want to seize this opportunity to commend the Cross River State Government for their overwhelming support to host the schedules of this emerging future team. History will never forget Governor Liyel Imoke for his warmth, hospitality and strong support in grooming Nigeria’s future football stars.
I believe in the qualities of the Eaglets to excel and they are truly good for glory.