Emmanuel Amuneke, Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, has said that fresh
opportunities would be given to new players as the national U-17
team’s camp opens in Abuja on Sunday, ahead of the forthcoming African
cadet championship to be hosted in Niger Republic from 15 February- 1 March, 2015.
Amuneke, who breezed into town midweek from Spain, noted that the next
two weeks would be used to ascertain the fitness level and condition
of older players, adding that it was necessary to fortify the team in view
of the challenges expected at the tournament.
The Golden Eaglets nearly won the 2013 CAN U-17 Championship, but
were beaten 5-4 by the Junior Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire after a pulsating
1-1 draw in Marrakech, Morocco.
“The peculiar nature of the U-17 category means that we would
continue to work with most of the players that have been with us for
some time now”, said the 1994 African Footballer of the Year.

“But that has not fore closed the chances for others to break into the team
since we need to present a very good team because our objective first
and foremost is to secure one of the tickets for the next FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile”.
The team would begin their training session on Monday at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project Pitch in Abuja, and officials hinted that only those who are invited would be taken care of, while the others who want to be screened would cater for their own welfare.