By Daniel Eteghe

Federal Government yesterday received the victorious under_20 national team, the Flying Eagles at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos.

The Team which arrived from South Africa on board Arik Air at 3pm amidst jubilation after beating Cameroon 3_2 to win at the African Youth Championship (AYC)were ferried to the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport where they were received by the Minister of Sports, Professor Tahoreed Adedoja on behalf of the Federal Government.

Every member of the team was bestowed with the prestigious Gallant of Honour medal by the minister while assuring them that the government would deliver on all the promises made prior the championship.

He urged them to put up an even more impressive performance as they prepare to jet out to South Korea on Tuesday to commence training for the 2011 World youth soccer championship in Colombia.

“This cup is being named Nigeria’s GoodLuck cup, I have been asked specifically by the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to welcome all of you back to Nigeria, and he also told me to congratulate you for winning the championship”

“Mr. President wants to assure you that all the promises made to you will be fulfilled 100 percent , Mr. President is a man that keeps his promises and he wants to assure you that this is one of the things that we are witnessing in sport development in Nigeria” he stressed.

Also speaking to newsmen, the chief coach of the team, Mr. John Obuh thanked God almighty for the victory and said that the boys were going into intense training to block the lapses noticed and that the sky would be the boys’ limit.

The boys were ferried to the VIP with two Carnival float buses from the Lagos state government from where they displayed the cup reclaimed in South Africa.