» Buhari Deserves Place In Guinness Book Of Records - NFF President «

President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju
Pinnick has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is
worthy of a bold mention in the Guinness Book of Records.
The NFF boss said this on Monday in Santiago as he
boarded a flight to Buenos Aires on the way back home
from a success story at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.
According to a post that appeared on the NFF, Pinnick
said: “Yes, it is a success story as you just mentioned,
but it would not have ended that way without the great
support that the Nigeria Football Federation continues to
receive from the President Muhammadu Buhari –led
Federal Government.
“In fact, the Nigeria Football Federation is dedicating this
triumph to President Buhari. He is a man of history. He
was there when the first set won the trophy in 1985 as
military Head of State; now he is here as civilian President
when the Class of 2015 emerged victorious.
Seriously speaking, I don’t think there is any Head of State
or Government in the entire universe who has this honour,
and for this, our PMB deserves a place in the Guinness
Book of Records.”
Pinnick, whose one–year administration can now point to
successes at the African Women Championship (Namibia
2014), African Youth Championship (Senegal 2015) and now
the Eaglets’ triumph (aside qualifications for several major
tournaments), insisted on Monday that the masterstroke
for the Eaglets’ confident and determined approach was
President Buhari’s call to the team a day earlier.
“We appreciate the President for sparing time out of his
very tight schedule to talk to each and every player and
official. That was a massive motivation. At the end of the
conversation, the players told me they would go all out and
give whatever it would take to win, having been inspired by
the country’s leader.
“Football is a potent and huge tool for national unity and
the focus of the present NFF administration is to build a
sustainable football culture for our country. Triumphs are
good, but we must not overlook the sustainable culture.
” The NFF President assured that his administration would
be strongly involved in the players’ development, unlike
what happened in the past. “People have talked about
monitoring the players. We would do more than that. We
would be part of their developmental programs and
seamless transition to senior categories.
“We are very happy with this victory because it gives us
the opportunity to present to our dear PMB his first global
crown on his return as civilian President.”
Pannick, a member of the Organizing Committee for the
FIFA U-20 World Cup, and who joined the dignitaries to
hand out the medals in Vina del Mar on Sunday, hinted that
the NFF already has other targets in its immediate radar.
“Of course, we are celebrating. But I can tell you that our
focus has already shifted to the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations
in Senegal. It is important that we earn
a ticket to the men’s football tournament of next year’s
Olympics in Brazil.
“We will give Samson Siasia’s squad all the support to win
the ticket. And of course, we have also concluded
arrangements to ensure the Super Eagles defeat Swaziland
in the race for the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting with the
first leg in Lobamba on Friday,” said Pinnick, as he
congratulated the U-20 women national team, Falconets,
for earning a ticket to the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World
Cup after beating South Africa’s Basetsana on Sunday.