Buhari To Reward Victorious China ’85 Eaglets With N2m Each

BEVERLY HILLS, January 19, (THEWILL) – Thirty-one years after, members of the China 1985 set of Golden Eaglets, who won Nigeria's first football world title by beating Germany 2-0 at the final of the then Kodak U-16 FIFA championship will now be rewarded for their feat by President Muhammadu Buhari, who was the Head of State then.

Africanfootball.com reports that each of the players and their coaches, including families of those that are no longer alive, will get a cash gift of N2m from the president this Thursday.

The Baby Eagles, led by Nduka Ugbade, made history by becoming the winners of the first U-16 World Championship in China. The team, later renamed Golden Eaglets, defeated Germany 2-0 in the final to become the first African team to win a FIFA tournament.

Buhari at that time promised the players scholarships, shares in major companies, among other things. But several of these promises were never fulfilled as he was removed from office through a coup shortly after.

Now a democratically elected into power, Buhari has agreed to make up for these unfilled promises when he receives the history-making team again at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Thursday.

However, other sporting heroes including the Eaglets Class of 2015 who won a fifth U17 World Cup in November as well as the country's Olympic team will be honoured on the day

Presidency sources reveal that each player of the Golden Eaglets Class of 2015 will be rewarded with a cash gift of N1.2m.

Cumulatively, Buhari will host a total of 150 athletes and officials, who did Nigeria proud on the international scene in the period under review.