Golden Eaglets Shelve Festive Activities

Determined to put up good performance at CAN U-17 Championship, Niger 2015, the Golden Eaglets have shelved observing public holidays to continue with their training session at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.

All the national teams except the Golden Eaglets are presently on break but Emmanuel Amuneke, the Head Coach of the Nigeria's U-17 team, said the
players needed to be fit as fiddle in order to play at optimum level even as he commended his wards for sacrificing their comfort while others are on festive holiday.

"The only magic in football is fitness and not any fetish thing; and without fitness, we can't be a winner," said Amuneke who clocks 44 on December 25th." By the grace of God, we would train once on Thursday because we need to keep ourselves very fit for the task ahead."

Wednesday's morning training saw the players being drilled physically including athleticism, abdominal exercises amongst others and would expectedly continue with same routine in the coming days.

"We are quite impressed with the response of the players but we are going to push them even harder," explained Amuneke."

The players need to regain their fitness level because some are still rusty since we

went on break after the qualification in September. He adds:" For us to function well, we must be ready to work well because apart from your skill, you have to push yourselves very hard and that is why the like of Messi and Ronaldo are still the best in the world."

Speaking further, team's coordinator, Prince Udofia said it was important to continue with the training regimen during the festive holiday period:"I think no sacrifice is too small to be champions and we have to commend the players' efforts in this regard."

The Golden Eaglets were on Sunday drawn against the hosts, Niger in Group A along with Guinea and Zambia in Group A of the 11th African U-17 Championship tagged Niger 2015 that would be held between February 15th and March 1st next year in Niamey.