FIFA U-20 World Cup: Flying Eagles didn’t shame Nigeria

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has praised the Flying Eagles for giving a good account of themselves at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Argentina.

Flying Eagles after quite an impressive showing at the tournament, were able to make it to the quarter-finals where they faced Korea Republic.

Two-time runners-up Nigeria dominated for large parts of the game but were eliminated from the tourney by a single goal on Sunday as Korea Republic surged into the semi-finals for the second successive tournament.

The Flying Eagles, who eliminated hosts and six-time champions Argentina in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, created few chances despite passing the ball round the field quite well.

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However, lack of punch in the final third was the greatest undoing of the seven-time African champions.

Mohammed Sanusi, NFF’s General Secretary, on Monday in Abuja told NAN that the Flying Eagles gave their best at the world cup, adding that they did not disgrace the country in anyway.

“The Flying Eagles have done their very best. I can say they have not disgraced Nigeria.

“In every competition, there has to be a winner and there has to be a time when some teams will be eliminated.

“Yesterday, it wasn’t our day. The team played very well but the goals refused to come.

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“So, I think we should take it in good fate and move forward.

“As I have always said, anytime we go for competitions, we go to fulfil God’s righteousness because whatever God has destined to happen will happen, you cannot change it.

“If you have looked at the game, you would know that it wasn’t our game at all.

“Even the last dying minutes of the match, we were supposed to have equalised but the goal refused to come,” he said.

The NFF Scribe apologised to Nigerians for the failure of the team to progress to semi-finals, stressing that the Flying Eagles gave their 100 per cent, but the will of God was done.

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“We want to say we are sorry to Nigerians who believed in the team that they could go all the way.

“Going by their progression and improvement from match to match, Nigerians expected us to defeat the Koreans.

“But as I said earlier, it wasn’t the wish of God. He did his wish and we were eliminated by the Koreans,” he said.