President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari on Wednesday assured the U-23 National Team of a ‘special package’ should the team win Saturday’s CAF U-23 Championship opener against Morocco in Tangiers.
“We have a special package for the team, and I would not want to disclose this now. I will let the players and their coaches know when I get to Morocco.
“The Nigeria Football Federation has done so much for the team but we are conscious of the need to even do more as the team begins the competition. We need the ticket to the Olympics, and we will be there to motivate the players to give their all to get this ticket”, said Maigari.
The NFF sent its Technical Sub-Committee chairman, Barrister Chris Green and Head Coach Austin Eguavoen to Europe to meet with directors of Clubs of the foreign-based players to negotiate for their release for the tournament, which falls outside the FIFA international calendar.
The team also spent 10 days training in Accra, Ghana and played a number of friendly matches, before flying back to Lagos and then heading to Morocco on Saturday for final pre-tournament knock-around.
Chairman of the NFF Technical Sub-Committee, Barrister Chris Green, believes the team will earn Nigeria the ticket to the London 2012 Olympics Men’s Football Tournament.
“The team will do well. We have confidence in the technical crew and the players, and we want to assure Nigerians that the boys will give their very best to win a ticket to the Olympic Games”, said Green.
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