1985 World Cup Winner, Salisu Nakande, Tasks Golden Eaglets On Camp Discipline

A member of the Nigerian National U-16 Team, The Golden Eaglets, that won the very first edition of the World Cadet Championship in China in 1985, Salisu Nakande,  has tasked the current squad to obey and maintain camp rules ahead of the Fifa U-17 male Championship which begins today in Santiago, Chile.

Nakande, who is now a board member of the Plateau Football Association, PFA, urged the Emmanuel Amuneke tutored lads to ensure that collective discipline as a unit is given major priority so that the main focus of the team, which is to give Nigeria a respectable representation will be achieved.

Nakande also urged the coaching department as well as the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to maintain the team for the purpose of continuity after the tournament whether Nigeria wins the Championship or not, stressing that we must stop the win-at-all-cost mentality at age grade level and focus on developing our cadets for greater impacts at full International level.

The former Mighty Jets Speedy winger added that if developmental strategies rather than win at all cost syndromes are taken seriously he believes a blend of the present U-17 squad and the last one in U.A.E 2013 can help Nigeria quality and even get to the semi-finals of the Fifa World Cup finals in Qatar in 2022 where the weather conditions would be favourable to
African teams.

Nakande played in the final of the first edition., helping Nigeria to beat the defunct Western Germany by 2-0 with goals from Fatai Atere and Victor Igbinorba on the 11th of August 1985 at the Workers Stadium in Beijing, China, to land Africa her first Fifa title.

 The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria take on the United States of America in their Group A Opener of the World U -17 Championship today in Chile.