Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development, says he will host members of the victorious Flying Eagles squad and the scrabble team in Abuja on Monday.
The Flying Eagles defeated the Benin Republic 3-1 in Friday’s final of the WAFU U-20 tournament in Niamey, Niger Republic while the Nigerian scrabble team swept the stakes at the West African championships in Accra, Ghana.
Dare spoke to both teams immediately after their successes in Niamey and Accra. He also commended them for doing Nigeria proud.
In his chat with the Flying Eagles after their victory, the minister expressed delight in the team’s performance.
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He lauded the team for restoring the nation’s pride at the age-grade competition.
Dare also charged the Flying Eagles to ensure they qualify “for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023”.
“I urge you to stay committed to the greater goal, which is qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023,” he said.
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The Flying Eagles beat the defending African champions Ghana 2-0, drew 2-2 with Burkina Faso, and then edged Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 after extra time in the semi-finals before the convincing 3-1 win over the Benin Republic in the final.
In Accra, Nigeria’s Eta Karo emerged as the championship’s most valuable player (MVP) as the Nigerian team won the top nine places, emerging as the best country in the competition.
Oloruntoba Aka, president of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), thanked the minister who visited the team on the eve of its departure to Ghana.
He also promised that his federation would ensure that Nigeria maintains its status as a global leader in scrabble.
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