OKPOSHI NONSO ALOYSIUS
The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has thanked the President of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Ahmad Ahmad for his support to the five African nations which qualified for the World Cup in Russia with particular reference to Nigeria’s football team.
Barrister Dalung showed his gratitude in a meeting with Ahmad on Wednesday at the FOUR SEASONS Hotel Casablanca Morocco where Nigeria’s Super Eagles Team B are currently taking part in the African Championship CHAN.
The CAF President granted a financial subsidy of $500,000 to the five African teams which qualified for the World Cup in Russia to strengthen the technical supervision of the teams as well as a Fieldwiz equipment, a technological device used for measuring the physical performance for outdoor team sports players. The teams include the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Senegal.
Special Adviser on Media to the Sports Minister, Nneka Nkem Anibeze, said in a statement made available to PM EXPRESS that Barrister Dalung commended the CAF President for his vision in changing the face of CAF and African football.
‘I wish to thank you for turning around African football and giving it a facelift. Football in Africa today has been revolutionized and the effects of what we we are seeing now is unprecedented. CAF now consists of a new generation of football administrators and I am happy too that we have a Nigerian in the person of Amaju Pinnick in the inner caucus of CAF.
“I thank you for supporting Nigeria with five hundred thousand dollars and an outdoor performance measurement equipment. This will assist the Nigeria Football Federation in preparing the Super Eagles for the World Cup.”
The CAF President Ahmad also praised Nigeria for qualifying for the quarter finals of CHAN adding that Nigeria has always been the cynosure of all eyes at African and World Cup tournaments.
“Nigeria has played an important role in African football and is the strongest African contender at the World Cup in Russia. CAF is backing Nigeria to make a mark at the 2018 World Cup. We must prepare our African teams to make us proud at the World Cup”,Ahmad said.
Also at the meeting was President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick, the Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco Hon Edward Pakwok and Mrs Alabi Loveth Funmilayo, a staff of the Ministry.