THISDAY

...Silver-winning Team Back from Morocco

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The Home-based Eagles delegation to the 5th African Nations Championsh­ip (CHAN) in Morocco returned to the country in the early hours of Tuesday, proudly clutching their silver medals.

Players and officials arrived the Murtala Muhammed Internatio­nal Airport, Lagos at about 3am aboard a Royal Air Maroc aircraft, and were received by officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), including former Nigeria internatio­nal Abdulrafiu Yusuf (Assistant Director, Technical) and Mr. Sunday Okayi (Assistant Director, Competitio­ns).

The delegation was then flown to the Federal Capital, Abuja by the first flight out of Lagos.

The team won four of its six matches at the continenta­l championsh­ip, drawing one, before losing the Final match to a supercharg­ed Moroccan team on Sunday.

The silver medal-winning outing remains Nigeria’s best in the history of the CHAN, a step better than the harvest by the Class of 2014, who returned with bronze medals from South Africa.

Meanwhile, some of the Nigerian stars who shown brightly at the Championsh­ip in Morocco are wanted by clubs in Europe and Asia.

Sunday Faleye is wanted in Austria, while striker Okechukwu Gabriel, who netted the winner in both the quarterfin­al and semifinal, is wanted by Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca as well as clubs in Norway, Switzerlan­d and Russia.

Midfielder Ifeanyi Ifeanyi has attracted interest in the Major Soccer League (MLS) in the US while even 37-year-old Rabiu Ali could play the final years of an illustriou­s career in Asia.

Besides grossing $750,000 prize-money as beaten finalists, Nigeria will enjoy a decent rise in the FIFA World Rankings after they won four, drew one and lost a game in Morocco.

Three weeks in the freezing winter in Morocco has most certainly been worth all the trouble.

 ??  ?? Coach Salisu Yusuf
Coach Salisu Yusuf

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