Niger 2015: Eaglets start campaign against host

The defending world champions  are drawn in Group A where they will also play Guinea and Zambia on February 18 and 21 respectively.The Emmanuel Amuneke led team have been in the neighbouring country since Thursday after concluding preparations for the tournament on Wednesday in nearby Sokoto State. They were given a royal welcome by members […]

The defending world champions  are drawn in Group A where they will also play Guinea and Zambia on February 18 and 21 respectively.
The Emmanuel Amuneke led team have been in the neighbouring country since Thursday after concluding preparations for the tournament on Wednesday in nearby Sokoto State. They were given a royal welcome by members of the local-based Nigeria Football
Supporters Club.
On arrival coach Emmanuel Amuneke charged the players to remain focussed about the assignment at hand.”We thank God we arrived safely here in Niamey and we have to remain focussed in the next two weeks in order to achieve our objectives,” he said.
“We are here for business and by the grace of God; it shall be well with us here in Niamey.”
Flag-waving members of the NFSC led by their chairman, Sidney Sunday Ubanna, rode in a motorcade with the team to their  new abode in Niamey , Palace Royale Hotel , where accommodation have been reserved for the team.
The Nigerians assured the team of total support for the team throughout their stay in Niamey. A representative of Nigeria Ambassador to Niger, who was unavoidably absent, was also at the hotel to welcome the team.
“Some of us were actually in Sokoto when you played the friendly match against Fasbir and we were really impressed with the performance of the boys,” said Sidney.
“We are also expecting more of our members and we are going to support the team all the way at this championship.”
In the meantime, the team trained twice on Friday and once on Saturday to strategise for their first match.
On the road to Niger 2015, the Golden Eaglets are yet to lose after 25 domestic friendly matches and recently defeated Nigeria National League side, Sokoto United, 2-0 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
The championship holds between February 15 and March 1 with the semifinalists to represent the continent at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile in October.