30 years after, Buhari rewards Golden Eaglets team that won maiden U-17 FIFA championship

Thirty years after emerging victorious in the FIFA U-17 tournament in China, the victorious Golden Eaglets team was on Thursday rewarded by President Muhammadu Buhari with a cash gift of N2 million to each player, while their coaches were given N1.5 million each.

The team won the trophy in 1985, when Mr. Buhari was military Head of State, and he reportedly promised to honour the team for its victory.

However his tenure was cut short by a military coup, thereby making it impossible for him to fulfill his promise.

On Thursday, the president thanked God for keeping him alive to fulfill his promise to the team.

Mr. Buhari, at a reception to honour the team and other victorious Nigerian athletes in recent competitions, said the reward given to them was not payment for their services to the country but a “token of appreciation”.

The U-17 team that won the world championship last year were also rewarded with N1.2 million each while the chief coach, Emmanuel Amuneke was given 900,000.00 and his assistants got 600,000.00 each.

The team secretary and medical team got 300,000.00 each, while other officials got N200,000.00 each.