BY JOE APU
THE Confederation of African Football, CAF on Thursday ordered that the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Day 3 qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Pharaohs of Egypt take place on Friday, March 25 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna instead of Saturday, March 26 as was earlier adjusted.
According to a release by Ademola Olajire for the NFF, the decision followed a mail sent to the NFF by the Confederation of African Football on Wednesday that Nigeria should endeavour to make room for “a minimum of two full days of rest between the two matches.”
Although CAF had given Nigeria the latitude to pick any day between 23rd – 26th March for the Day 3 clash, and handed Egypt the option of picking any day from 26th – 29th for the Day 4 encounter, the continental body appealed to the NFF to pick a new date that would ensure two full days of rest ahead of the second match.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said on Thursday: “We have now moved the match forward by 24 hours, so we will play on Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26 will serve as the day for the two teams to travel, while March 27 and 28 will be rest days before the return leg on Tuesday, March 29.”
NFF names Manu Garba U-17 Head Coach
THE Nigeria Football Federation has named Coach Manu Garba (MFR) as Head Coach of the U-17 National Team, with a mandate to repeat his World Cup –winning feat of 2013 at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.
Soft –spoken Garba, who was elevated to the U-20 team after the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup triumph, led the Flying Eagles to lift the African title in Senegal
last year, but his boys failed to progress beyond the Round of 16 at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. Garba will now be assisted by Atuni Ali and Ernest Teigpanyo. The Golden Eaglets will in a few months begin the qualification series for the 2017 African U-17 Championship, which will be hosted by Madagascar.
The NFF also confirmed Bala Nikyu as Head Coach of the U-17 girls team, Flamingos. He will be assisted by Queen Gwendolyn with Lateef Yusuf as goalkeeper trainer.
Flamingos have already qualified for the final round of the African qualification series for the 2016 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will hold in Jordan later in the year. They play South Africa over two legs next month for spot in Jordan.