Teen stars who propelled Golden Eaglets

The youngsters from Nigeria peaked at the right time to prove clearly that the country is blessed with immensely talented players who can rule the world, if given the appropriate environment.Eaglets performance in UAE did not come as a surprise to those who had followed the team’s qualifying matches. Although the Eaglets let down so […]

The youngsters from Nigeria peaked at the right time to prove clearly that the country is blessed with immensely talented players who can rule the world, if given the appropriate environment.
Eaglets performance in UAE did not come as a surprise to those who had followed the team’s qualifying matches. Although the Eaglets let down so many Nigerians when they could not win the Africa cadet championship in Morocco, some incurable optimists still believed in the team.
From the show that the Eaglets have put up in UAE, it is now clear that it was over confidence that wreaked the dream of the team in the Africa U-17 Championship. It was indeed a blessing in disguise as many Nigerians had consoled themselves when the Eaglets failed to soar on the continental stage.
Although not every player taken to the championship got the opportunity to play, the performances of some of those who came on as substitutes proved that every player in the team was qualified to represent Nigeria.
Even as it was collective effort, some players distinguished themselves right from day one. Such players served as the driving force behind the team as they easily propelled the Eaglets from one victory to another.
Consequently, their outstanding performance did not go unnoticed as some of the top clubs in Europe are presently chasing their signatures. For FIFA, the world football ruling body to have recognised and identified with the outlandish abilities of players like Musa Yahaya, Taiwo Awoniyi, Abdullahi Alfa, Musa Mohammed and Kelechi Iheanacho, shows that they are cut for greater things in the near future.
It is also an open secret that but for the hamstrung injury which wreaked his World Cup dreams,  prolific scorer Isaac Success would have made the above list. It will be recalled that Isaac emerged the highest goals scorer during the 2013 Africa U-17 Championship in Morocco with five goals. He scored two goals for Nigeria at the World Cup before he bowed out to injury.
Spotting a well deserved number 10 jersey, Kelechi Iheanacho easily emerged as the team’s supplier and provider of goals. Although all eyes were on Isaac in the opening match, it was the immensely talented Iheanacho who stole the show that day against Mexico. He scored four goals against the defending champions to begin his amazing show in UAE. He would go on to score more and provide over seven assists for his team mates to score. His is one of the players being chased by big clubs in Europe.
Petit sized Abdullahi Alfa emerged the silent operator in the Eaglets midfield. Always in over-sized jersey, Alfa was never weighed down as he constantly shifted the ball from side to side, dictating the rhythm of play for his side.
If not for injury suffered by Isaac early in the competition, Taiwo Awoniyi, the other revelation at the championship wouldn’t have become the household name that h eis presently. He came off the bench to replace Isaac and scored a brace against Sweden to earn Nigeria a well deserved draw. He never looked back. Although some people said he was leaving on borrowed times as they believed the rightful owner of the position would soon return to take over, divine providence kept him on till the final day. A lethal scorer, Awoniyi caught the fancy of one of Africa’s legendary striker Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan who said he (Awoniyi) is a future star.
Musa Yahaya who grew up in Kaduna State was simply the play maker of the team. His team mates call him Iniesta due to his ball passing abilities. His pin point passes frees his attackers even when they are tightly marked. Apart from his passes and body swerves which mesmerised the fans, Yahaya proved he could also score as he contributed four goals to his team’s tally in UAE.
Eaglets captain Musa Mohammed deserves commendation for his leadership role. He truly proved himself as a worthy leader on the pitch as he marshalled the team’s play from the rear. His surging runs and dangerous crosses in front of opponents’ goal area caused a lot of problems to the advantage of his team. He did not only defend goals scored but also put his name on the scorers sheet at least twice. It is therefore not a surprise that he is one of the players being chased by some of the top clubs in the English Premier League.
These aforementioned players distinguished themselves but as stated earlier, every other player who was given a chance to play made enormous contributions to the team’s performance. The special attention given to players like Awoniyi, Iheanacho, Muhammed, Yahaya and Alfa only goes to show that in every team, there must be some exceptional performers.