Pinnick Walks on Air!

The second-string Super Eagles might have been edged by Europa League champions, Atletico Madrid, on Tuesday in Uyo but the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick (and indeed many who were there) saw triumph in defeat.

“The result is not what mattered today,” Pinnick said, “what mattered was that we have been able to show the world that we have a solid youth team that is capable of taking over from the present squad, from the squad going to the World Cup next month.

“I am very happy because our big mission statement on assuming office was to build a sustainable football culture for Nigeria. From what we have seen today, our future at the senior national team level is secured. And given what we are doing at the youth level, with our U-13 and U-15 programmes, it means that the supply chain is strong enough to sustain even the junior teams, from where the senior players will emerge.”

Players like the Nwakali brothers (Chidiebere and Kelechi) wowed the near –capacity crowd with delicate touches. Similarly, the 2013 U-17 World Cup-winning captain, Musa Muhammed, central defensive pair of Adeleye Olamilekan and Chinedu Ajanah, former U-20 star, Alhassan Ibrahim, as well as wingbacks Ebube Duru and Ikouwem Utin showed promise. They exuded tremendous energy and confidence.

“We are confident that from the preparatory plan that we have put together for the Super Eagles leading to the finals in Russia, and having taken care of off-field matters that may cause distraction, the team will do Nigeria proud in Russia,” an elated Pinnick declared further, adding:

“Looking at the team that just played Atletico Madrid, it gladdens my heart to see that after Russia, we certainly have the players that will also do us proud in 2022 and even 2026.”

In the meantime, the Communications Department of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, has released a reportage on the final phase of the Super Eagles journey to Russia. In the release, it recalled that Nigeria’s former U-17 World Cup winners Kelechi and Chidiebere Nwakali were the cynosure of all eyes as the Super Eagles B squad narrowly lost 2-3 to newly-crowned Europa League champions Atletico Madrid in Uyo on Tuesday.

A festive atmosphere prevailed at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, with Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State; President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick; Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Marcelino Cabanas; NFF Vice Presidents, Seyi Akinwunmi, and Shehu Dikko, as well as NFF Board Members Yusuf Ahmed and Sharif Inuwa, sharing the team on end. They were joined by NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, La Liga representatives, top officials of DSTV, and club owners in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

It was also just as well that football lovers in the town where the Super Eagles secured their 2018 FIFA World Cup ticket repaid the State Government’s gesture of free entry with a near-capacity turn-out.

The younger Nwakali (Kelechi), who captained the Class of 2015 to Nigeria’s fifth cadet title in Chile, served as a big coefficient of elder brother Chidiebere (a member of the 2013 winning team) in the midfield, and alongside lanky orchestrator Alhassan Ibrahim, sent ample early signals to the visitors that they would have their work cut out on the evening.

Kadiri Samadi, Ibrahim and Emem Eduok had sight of goal at various times and Kevin Gameiro had side-netted in a flurry of exchanges in the opening half hour, before Kelechi brought the crowd onto their feet with a superb, angled shot from 22 yards that caught  Goalkeeper Jan Oblak flat-footed.

However, the Spaniards levelled two minutes later, when Angel Correa equalized after Eduok lost the ball in midfield and Gonzalez Sergio pounced.

Goalkeeper Olufemi Thomas did well to stop an advancing Gameiro. The Eagles deserved to go into the break on top, only for substitute Destiny Ashadi to blast over from four yards after being brilliantly laid on by Samadi.

On resumption, Thomas saved a smart shot from Jose Carlos Aliaga, and Atletico came very close from a melee, before Fernando Torres, who was playing his valedictory game for the Europa League champions, rose highest to nod home his team’s second goal from a corner kick.

While the Nwakali brothers continued to pull strings in midfield, Captain Musa Muhammed and Ebube Duru showed class as wingbacks, and Duru’s replacement Ikouwem Utin replicated his impressive form at the CHAN finals in Morocco earlier in the year.

Substitute Usman Mohammed, a member of the Nigeria squad that won bronze at the 2016 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Brazil, and who plays his club football in Norway, scored an audacious goal in the 80^th minute, turning two Atletico players and the goalkeeper inside out after a pass from fellow substitute Tosin Omoyele before slotting past substitute goalkeeper Axel Werner.

But there was time for the visitors to net the winner, with substitute Garces Borja blasting past Thomas from close range as Atletico Madrid swept on the homers’ defence with four minutes left.

Correa was named most valuable player of the match, and Atletico Madrid were awarded the GOTVMax Cup that was specially dedicated for the occasion. Torres was also honoured for his great contribution to the Atletico cause over the years.

On the whole, the occasion was a fitting montage to the final phase of the Super Eagles’ preparations for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, which begins in Uyo on Wednesday, May 23, and will proceed apace with the international friendly against the Simba of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Port Harcourt on Monday, 28^th May.

The Eagles’ contingent, alongside chieftains of the NFF, led by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, is expected to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa next Tuesday, before the team flies out to London on Wednesday, May 30.

On Saturday, June 2, Nigeria will take the pitch against England at Wembley, in the third official meeting between the two nations linked by strong historical ties. The following day, the Nigeria delegation will fly to Bad Tatzmannsdorf, venue of an eight-day camping programme at the Avita Resort. In-between the camping, the team will play Czech Republic in a final pre-World Cup friendly at the Rudolf Tonn Stadium outside Vienna on Wednesday, June 6.

The Eagles will fly into Russia for their sixth FIFA World Cup finals on June 11, direct to the team base camp at Yessentuki. They play Croatia in their first match in Kaliningrad on June 16, trade tackles with Iceland in Volgograd on June 22, and take on Argentina in Saint Petersburg on June 26, in the last game of Group D.