Future Eagles fly to Spain for UEFA U-16 tourney

Future Eaglesdefeated Mexico U16 3-1 at the International Dream Cup in Japan. Goals from Egesionu Sopuruchukwu 44th min,<br />Adeleke Oluwatobi 55th min and Adeyeye Damilola 72nd min ensured the win. Photo/twitter/thenff

Nigeria’s U-15 boys, nicknamed Future Eagles, will fly into Spain today to feature in a UEFA U-16 Development Tournament.

The special invitation has come as a result of Nigeria’s pedigree in youth football, in which she has won five world titles at U-17 boys’ level and reached the FIFA World Cup final on two occasions at U-20 level.

As part of its preparation for the tournament, the Future Eagles trained for a week at the Remo Stars’ Sports Institute in Ikenne, during which it played two matches against the Remo Stars’ U16 boys (Beyond Limits FC), winning one and losing the other.

Only last month, the Future Eagles, coached by Patrick Bassey, also won one and lost one against their Moroccan counterparts on a two-match tour of that North African country. Their first game ended in a 2-3 defeat, but they buckled up to win the second game 5-3 in the city of Kenitra.

The UEFA U16 Tournament, which brings warm memories of the UEFA-CAF U-17 Meridian Tournament that started in 1997, but was discontinued a decade after, will hold at the Pinatar Arena Football Centre in San Pedro del Pinatar.

It can be recalled that the UEFA-CAF Meridian Tournament was part of a cooperation agreement between UEFA and CAF, and Nigeria won the inaugural tournament in 1997. The Eaglets defeated the Spain U-17 team 3-2 in the final in Lisbon, Portugal.

At this new tournament, the Future Eagles will play against Belgium on Friday, April 12 (8.00 p.m.), face Italy on Sunday, April 14 (8.00 p.m.) and square up to England on Wednesday, April 17