Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has congratulated the Golden Eaglets for emerging the fifth time World Champions in Under 17 football competition just concluded in Chile.
Governor Ahmed in the congratulatory message said the Golden Eaglets with this victory have kept Nigerians tenacity of making positive history, especially in age grade football alive, recalling that Nigeria won the first edition in China 30 years ago.
“This is a profound and unique instance of history repeating itself on a positive note, especially when it is recalled that in 30 years Nigeria has now won the cup five times. In the process, winning it back to back and throwing up all time highest goal scorer in Victor Osimhen thus earning the bragging rights as the best age grade football nation in the world”, he said.
According to the governor, on the road to victory, the World Golden Eaglets played beautiful football, with a lot of panache couched in clinical ruthlessness that made football looked simple but interesting”.
Governor Ahmed noted that Eaglets’ success at the age grade football was premised on unity of purpose, desire and resolve to succeed without submitting to the divisive tendencies of ethno-religious bigotry.
He, therefore, charged Nigerians to make the enduring values of selfless service, unquestionable love for the fatherland that the Eaglets’ victory underscore manifest in all aspects of their national life.
“If on the field of play Nigerians never bothered where each player comes from, if the religious persuasions or lack of it, of each player never raised any concern; if as a nation we can rally round our teams in unison without such ethno-religious biases why can’t we translate such high qualities of patriotism into other aspects of our national life”, the governor wondered.
Governor Ahmed advised the football authority in the country to ensure that the golden eaglets are properly counseled as they chart new paths in their football careers so that their dreams of football excellence on the world scale would not be aborted before take off like those of some of their predecessors.