President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has again assured that the present NFF administration is focused and working tirelessly to redirect the Nigeria game to the path that will lead to greater glory, while also building structures that will ensure improvement and sustainability of the various development efforts being embarked upon.
Gusau made this remark in Lagos on Friday, on a visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive of GIC Motor (distributors of GAC Motors in Nigeria), Chief Diane Chan. GAC is the automobile partner of the NFF.
“The present NFF administration will continue to fashion and implement policies that are targeted at re-engineering the Nigeria game, in order to pull it back to the top. The process requires a lot of hard work and focus and we are determined to do the needful.
“As we have enunciated now and again, the vision of this new team is to build our football from the grassroots with vigor and with a sense of purpose. We are putting the nuts and bolts together and very soon the drive will commence powerfully.
“Our National Teams have been up there before and will be back at the very top sooner than later. This year, the Super Eagles, Super Falcons, Olympic Eagles, Flying Eagles, and Golden Eaglets have major tournaments at hand, and we are focused on preparing the teams adequately to get good results from their various engagements and tournaments.”
The Flying Eagles will participate in the Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place in Egypt from 18th February – 12th March, while the Super Eagles have two crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Guinea Bissau (home and away) in the month of March. A place in the top four in Egypt will land the Flying Eagles at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Indonesia.
Also, in March, the U23 Boys (Olympic Eagles) have a final qualifying fixture against Guinea for the Africa U23 Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco later in the year, and at which Africa’s flag bearers at next year’s Olympic Men’s Football Tournament will emerge.
In April, the Golden Eaglets will participate in the Africa U17 Cup of Nations in Algeria, with a place in the top four ensuring that the five-time champions will be part of the FIFA U17 World Cup finals in Peru later in the year.
The Super Falcons, heading to the Four-Nation Revelation Cup Tournament in Mexico next month, will be part of the biggest FIFA Women’s World Cup ever, when 32 teams converge for a mammoth festival in Australia and New Zealand from 20th July – 20th August this year.