Westerhof Counsels NFF Over Future Of U-23 Eagles

By Taiwo Adelu

Former Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Clemens Westerhof, has said that for Nigeria to consolidate on the achievement of the U-23 eagles at the just concluded Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in China, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should begin to plan for the future of the young boys.

The U-23 Eagles proved bookmakers wrong as they braved all odds to play in the final of the men’s football event of the Olympics, where they lost 0-1 to Argentina in the final, to win the silver medal.

Westerhof, who led the Eagles to win the 1994 African Nations Cup in Tunisia, said that the coach of the team, Samson Siasia, should begin to work with the Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Amodu Shuaibu, so that there will be a smooth transition of the U-23 Eagles to the Super Eagles in no distant time.

He noted that he sees the Olympic silver medal team as a squad of the future who have what its takes to take over from the ageing legs in the senior national team.

“The NFF has a lot of work to do in order to ensure that the nation consolidates on the achievement of these boys in the Olympics. The team had a splendid performance at the Olympic Games. What the authorities should do is to let Siasia and Amodu work together so that there will be a smooth graduation of the U-23 Eagles to the Super Eagles. I see these boys as a team of the future who can form the bulk of the players in the senior national team,” said Westerhof, who took Nigeria to their first appearance in the FIFA World Cup, tagged USA ‘94