Honours and more honours

It was a delight to note, also, that Tuesday’s event was the THIRD TIME in ONLY EIGHT MONTHS that the NFF would be leading a National Team to the hallowed chamber of the State House to be rewarded by an appreciative Government and people.At the African U-17 Championship in Morocco, I had told the players […]

It was a delight to note, also, that Tuesday’s event was the THIRD TIME in ONLY EIGHT MONTHS that the NFF would be leading a National Team to the hallowed chamber of the State House to be rewarded by an appreciative Government and people.
At the African U-17 Championship in Morocco, I had told the players and their officials, on the eve of the final match against Cote d’Ivoire, that they should throw everything into the match and be sure that President Jonathan would reward them. They did, but it was not their day as they eventually lost on penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw.
I had challenged the players and officials of the U-20 National Team, Flying Eagles, the same way in Algeria during the African Youth Championship, but the boys simply failed to rise to the occasion and could only finish third.
In September last year, President Jonathan had hosted and rewarded the U-20 Women National Team (Falconets) who reached the semi finals at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, earning rave reviews from world football leaders including FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
The Falconets were hosted alongside the brilliant athletes who did our country proud at the Paralympic Games in London. On Tuesday, the Golden Eaglets were hosted alongside the junior athletes who did the nation proud in Warri, beating the whole of Africa.
Yeah, it is true that athletics and special sports are also on the swing, but no sport federation has brought as much glory and honour to Nigeria as football has done over the past year.
Perhaps, most Nigerians are still shocked by the fact that the Golden Eaglets did not win the African title. The way they stormed through the qualifying series, and battered every other team in friendly matches, pointed to a team unstoppable. Until they met the Ivorians.
However, I have belief in the team and I know it will come good at the FIFA World Cup in the UAE. Home-and-away victories over Niger, Guinea and Mali and the mauling of Ghana and Congo Brazzaville were not exactly fluke shows.
After the Falconets, and before the Eaglets, were the Super Eagles, who brought home the Africa Cup of Nations from South Africa in February. That means three praiseworthy outings by the National Teams in eight months.
Of course, this is without counting the accomplishment of the Beach Soccer team, Supersand Eagles, in retaining the COPA Lagos Invitational Tournament, as well as the third-place finish of the Flying Eagles in Algeria.
The achievements enumerated above has, expectedly, brought honours in terms of awards as well. On Friday last week, I was honoured with the Africa Sports Personality of the Year award at the 2nd African Development Magazine Awards in Accra, Ghana.
Although I could not make it to Accra in person as I was in Germany, NFF’s Assistant Director (Media), Ademola Olajire collected the award and commended the organizers. The event was attended by top government functionaries, business executives, academic luminaries and highly-placed civil servants from both Nigeria and Ghana, with Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom honoured as Governor of the Year. He was represented by the State’s Commissioner for Information, Hon. Aniekan Umanah.
This award came less than a week after the ACHIEVEMENT award bestowed on me by the Lagos Junior League at its annual awards, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos at which I was personally present.
It also came some weeks after a similar honour by the National Youth Council of Nigeria, and yet another international honour by the African Students Union Parliament.
On Thursday, 10th April, the Speaker of the African Students Union Parliament, Rt. Hon. Addei Mohammed flew to Abuja from Rwanda  ahead of a group of the ASUP Executives to present the ASUP Leadership Merit Award to my humble self, and also a corporate award to Nigeria Football Federation.
Mohammed said then: “It is no longer news that in African countries, football serves as a basic unifying factor and whoever contributes to the development of football in any country of Africa is contributing to, not just the unity of such country, but also to the development of the youth.
“Aminu Maigari’s energy and dynamism has driven Nigeria football from a low point to a very high level, and alongside his Board and Management, he continues to work very hard to take it to the highest point.”
NEXT WEEK: The Battle of Nairobi