Triumphant Entry: Rapturous fans welcome Golden Eaglets home

Newly appointed Minister of Youth & Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalong on Wednesday in what was his first official assignment after taking the oath of office earlier in the day, gave kudos to the Golden Eaglets for winning a record fifth Federation Internationale de Football Association U-17 World Cup at Chile 2015.

The team touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe global airport, Abuja aboard Emirates Airline flight EK 785 from Dubai and were met by thousands of sports fans.

“It is a great feeling to be world champions”, said Funsho Bamgboye who scored the Golden Eaglets second goal in the 2-0 defeat of Mali in the final match on Sunday in Vina Del March “I’m happy that I have represented my country, state and family well and we can see that this has made a lot of people happy too”.

“We want to thank them and their officials for making us proud with their performance”.

“The World Cup allowed us to see that Akpan is a very good keeper and he justified my judgment for picking him ahead of other goalkeepers; and I think we are going to see more of him in other levels of the national team;” he concluded.

“Our desire is to make Nigerians happy which by the grace of God today, we have achieved”, Amuneke said. You have done a great thing to bring honour to this country, and Mr. President is very delighted.

“In the last three weeks, it has been sports successes for us across the whole world in every sports Nigeria participated in, and we are looking forward to more”.

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports led by DG Sports, Alhassan Yakmut organized an event for the Golden Eaglets and the Scrabble World Cup-winning team to meet with Dalong at the Transcorp Hiton Hotel in Abuja.

They are expected to reconvene for a presidential reception with president Muhamadu Buhari on a date yet to be announced.