Buhari in telephone chat with Eaglets

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday afternoon had telephone conversations with members of Nigeria’s U-17 team ahead of their World Cup final on Sunday, TheCable can report.

The Golden Eaglets, coached by Emmanuel Amuneke, will play against Mali in the final in Chile, hoping to make it a record 5th win after victories in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013.

Buhari spoke with each member of the team, charging them to repeat the feat of 30 years when Nigeria became the first African country to win a FIFA tournament.

Buhari, who was military head of state at the time, charged the team to “do it again” because it will encourage Nigerians, particularly the youths.

Sani Abacha, the former head of state, started the tradition of telephone chat with the national team in 1994 ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final in Tunisia, which Nigeria won.

But Buhari’s conversation was not televised, unlike in the past.