Home Eagles win NPFL Invitational tourney

By Gbenga Jolaosho

Abuja

The home- based Super Eagles yesterday showed the stuff they are made by beating MFM FC 3-2 to emerge winners of the Nigeria Professional Football League invitational tournament at the Sani Abacha Stadium here in Kano.
Anthony Okpotu scored a brace for the Home Eagles with substitute Kingsley Eduwo scoring the third goal.
Jonathan Zikiye and Uwaga Chuka provided MFM their two goals.
Earlier in the day, Plateau United beat Akwa United to secure third position in the competition, while Enyimba defeated Kano Pillars 3-2 on penalties in the fifth and sixth playoff.
However, the home-based Super Eagles will move their camp to Abuja next week to intensify preparations ahead of the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco, just as Coach Salisu Yusuf has promised to work on the team’s lapses noticed during their participation in the League Nigeria Professional Football (NPFL) Super 6 held in Kano.
The CHAN Eagles are billed to stay at the Bolton White Apartments Hotel while in the federal capital territory.
They are however expected to travel to Morocco early next year to begin final preparations for the CHAN completion.
The team only started preparations for the CHAN on Monday in Kano where they are taking part in the NPFL invitational tournament.
Speaking on the experience gathered in the just concluded NPFL invitational tourney, Yusuf says his players are motivated to do the country proud after thrashing Enyimba International 1-0 on Friday.
Sunday Faleye’s second half strike from close range proved sufficient to send the Eagles to the final of the tournament.
Yusuf expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance on the evening, but insisted that a whole lot need to be done, before the final selection of a strong squad.
“We made eight changes to the initial squad that played against Plateau United, the essence is to assess our boys and see where they have got strength, so we are work in progress until we find the right team for CHAN in Morocco,” said Yusuf.
Yusuf did not mince words to state that there will be room to accommodate three more players as same number will be dropped after some outstanding performances attracted the eyes of the national team trainer.
“There will be call-up for Tosin Omoyele, who recently moved from Osun United to Plateau United,” Salisu said, adding that “the striker differentiated himself with his quality display of positioning, precision and good control of the ball.”
“He is a player that can put pressure on defenders and equally convert goals, so we will give him the chance to express himself while we will subsequently communicate to you (the press) the other potential invitees after due consultations with my technical bench.”
He further stated that the invitational tourney offered his technical team an ample opportunity to see some good players in the league, which eventually prompted a quick rethink to consider some fresh legs.
“This is an experimental ground that yielded a lot of positives for us and I must confess that we were privileged to be here. We have adopted two different patterns, having tried 4-4-2 in our first game and switching to 4-3-3 in this game earned us something better, so it’s an eye opener and we have benefited from this tournament,” he said.
The home-based Eagles will face Rwanda in their opening Group C game at CHAN 2018 on January 15 in Tangier. Former champions Libya and Equatorial Guinea are the other teams in the group.
The competition will run from January 13 to February 4 2018.

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