The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has reiterated its commitment to keeping the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Champions, the Golden Eaglets, together to compete in greater tournaments.
The body’s Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said that the federation would ensure that the Golden Eaglets were kept together to compete in greater tournaments.
Speaking to Channels Television after the victory of the Eaglets, he said that although it would be difficult to stop players from going for greener pastures, the federation would monitor the members of the team.
“What we will do as a federation is that we will make sure that any member of the team that is below the age of 18 that is leaving the country will be well documented under the guidance of their parents.
“I assure Nigerians that we will monitor them to know where they are,” he promised.
“We intend by the grace of God to graduate them to Under-20. We will stop scouters from taking them to countries that they will not have the opportunity to play good football,” he stressed.
Dr. Sanusi said that the football body would not allow any player without proper documentation to leave the country.
“Any request that comes to our office for Visa comes to my office directly and we will make sure that no player that is not properly cleared will be allowed to leave the country,” he explained.
He said that the strategies by the body would make the players have a better bargaining power.