3 May 2011
Newly crowned African youth champions Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, received a rousing welcome on their return to the country Monday.
A big crowd of supporters and reporters was on hand at the Murtala International Airport in Lagos to receive the Nigeria U20s, who Sunday beat bogey team Cameroon 3-2 in the final of the African Youth Championship in South Africa.
The team were later driven in an open double decker bus through the streets of Lagos after they had been received by the country’s sports minister, Taoheed Adedoja.
The minister congratulated the Flying Eagles and promised a grander reception for them by President Goodluck Jonathan, who was recently re-elected.
A dinner was later held in honour of the young Eagles, where the sports minister promised them a cash gift while describing their conquest as “a new beginning” for Nigerian football.
“We are really taken in by how we were received on arrival and we promise to do even more at the World Cup in Colombia,” said one of the stars of South Africa 2011, goalkeeper Danjuma Paul.
“Our next target is to win the World Cup,” promised president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari.
The Flying Eagles will depart for Suwon City, Korea, Tuesday for an invitational tournament.
The competition, which kicks off Thursday, will feature hosts Korea, Uruguay and New Zealand. Korea and Uruguay have qualified for the World Cup.
