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PRESIDENT BUHARI RALLIES SUPPORT FOR GOLDEN EAGLETS

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Understandably, Nigeria’s leader, President Muhammadu Buhari has soft spot for the national Under 17 football team, the Golden Eaglets.

Not only because the team carries the flag of his nation, it is because it was during his first tenure 35 years ago that the team shocked the sporting world to become the first team outside Europe and South America to win a FIFA football tournament.

At the time, the then Head of State had to break his leave to receive the victorious team which returned from China.

Five years ago, the team competed its cycle by winning for a record fifth time, the U-17 World Cup. That again happened in President Buhari’s first tenure as a civilian president.

The president, ahead of Nigeria’s opening game with Hungary on Saturday took to his twitter handle to wish the Nigerian side the best of luck.

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He wrote: “Tonight, the most successful team in the history of FIFA Under-17 World Cup will play its first game in the 2019 edition. I wish our Golden Eaglets the very best as they take on Hungary, and commence the quest for the Trophy. The entire country is solidly behind you.”

The team did not disappoint as it twice came from behind to defeat the goal-hungry Hungary by 4-2.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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