Volpi, Miskovic tip Eagles for World Cup success

Vice President of Croatia Football Federation, Captain Damir Miskovic and the Chairman of Orleans Invest West Africa Limited, Mr. Gabriele Volpi have tipped the Super Eagles to perform excellently at the forthcoming 20114 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Volpi, in a chat with sports reporters in Abuja at the weekend, said he expects the Super Eagles to emulate the Golden Eaglets who won the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year to do the country proud in Brazil.

He however noted that the Eagles will face stiff opposition from other great footballplaying nations like host Brazil, Argentina and Spain in their quest to lift the prestigious trophy.

“I hope the Super Eagles will do the same as the U-17 team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year, but this is difficult to predict because you have Brazil, Argentina, Spain and too many big teams, but Nigeria is doing very well so I think in a short time, not only Nigeria but Africa in general will be the best in the world,” Volpi said.

On his part, Miskovic, a former youth player in Croatia and currently a Director of Orleans Invest West Africa Limited informed that the company’s target is to assist Nigeria produce a strong national football team by raising young players who will graduate to the senior national team in future.

He said he was delighted that the initiative has started paying off, as two students of the Abuja Football College, an academy set up by the company were members of the Golden Eaglet team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year.

“We are proud that last year we had two of our academy students in the Nigerian team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Dubai and we hope that if this set plays well, they will end up in the national team and make all of us Nigerians proud.

“The students (Abuja Football College) were in Croatia and won the Croatia Cup, this year they are going again and we hope they will win again and show that our (Nigeria) football is much better than their own in Europe,” Miskovic stated.

PHOTO: Orleans Invest West Africa Limited Chairman Gabriele Volpi welcimng NFF President Alhaji Aminu Maigari to the unveiling of Abuja Football College team to the Croatia Football Tournament on Friday.