FG CHARGES DREAM TEAM V TO PICK TICKET

Eguavoen
The federal government has set a very tall target to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to do everything humanly possible to ensure that the wobbling Dream Team V participates in the 2012 London Olympic Games, just as the government equally charged the Flying Eagles to win the Columbia 2011 FIFA World Youth Championship (WYC).

Speaking through the new Minister of Sports, Yusuf Suleiman, during a media parley in Abuja yesterday, the federal government disclosed that the country would be participating in only nine sports in the London Games.

'You may wish to recall that Nigeria participated at the last Olympic Games in Beijing, China in 2008. This time round, the country's target is to post the best African performance at the 2012 London Olympics. Nigeria's contingent will be taking part in few selected sports like Athletics, Boxing (female), Weightlifting, Wrestling among others.

'It is instructive to note also that the National Dream Team V has qualified for the 8-nation tournament slated for December 2011. We shall ensure that everything possible is done to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 London Olympics football event,' he promised.

'I'm aware that our Under-20 national football team is presently training in Faro, Portugal. The team would later head to Panama for a 4-nation tournament and thereafter, proceed to Columbia for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. I, therefore, charge the NFA to ensure that the team brings the trophy to Nigeria,' he noted.