Eaglets Arrive In Kinshasa Ahead Of African U-17 Championship Qualifier

                            

Odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com the national under-17 male football team have arrived in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of their 2015 African U-17 championship qualifying fixture’s first leg match against their Congolese counterparts.

This is contained in a statement issued by the team’s Media Officer, Morakinyo Abodunrin, on Thursday in Abuja.

It said the team was led by the Chief Technical Officer of Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Abdulrafiu Yusuf, and NFA’s Head of Inter-clubs Competition, Emmanuel Adesanya.

The statement said the team, known as the Golden Eaglets, landed after a journey of almost 10 hours.

The Golden Eaglets are to face their Congolese counterparts in the first leg of a second round fixture on Saturday, July 26.

“The Golden Eaglets landed safely in Kinshasa on Thursday, and they were  brimming with confidence ahead of their match.

“The team, which departed their Calabar base for Lagos on Wednesday, flew out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport same night aboard a Kenya Airways flight.

“They made a stop-over in Cotonou, Benin Republic before embarking on a five-hour journey, arriving at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 8.30 a.m. local time (6.30 a.m. Nigerian time).

“Immediately, we boarded another two-and-a–half-hour Kenya Airways flight to DR Congo and arrived at the N’djili Aeroport International in Kinshasa at 10 a.m., same as Nigerian time,’’ Abodunrin said in the statement.

Abodunrin also said the team was received by the Head of Protocol Department, Federation Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA), Masiala Gaspard.

“The contingent was later driven to Kampo Hoetl on Avenue de la Commune and the members are already settling down.

“Officials from the Nigerian Embassy have also promised to assist them for a successful outing,’’ he said.(NAN)