No Holiday break for Nigeria’s Under 17 team

Nigeria’s Under 17 team, the Golden Eaglets will resume training on 20 August at their Calabar camp in spite of the two-day public holiday declared by the Federal Government, an official said on Saturday.

Team head coach Manu Garba told newsmen in Calabar that the business at hand demanded focus and seriousness if the team was to excel at the upcoming continental championship’s qualifier.

“We cannot afford not to be in camp by then, because we have a big task ahead of us and we have to accomplish that task,’’ he said.

The under-17 men football team is camped in Calabar ahead of the 2013 CAF U-17 qualifier against Niger Republic in September.

The federal government had some days ago declared Monday,20 August and Tuesday 21 August public holidays for the Eid-El-Fitri celebration which normally follows the Muslim month of Ramadan.

The team has been in camp since late May, preparing for the two-legged qualifier.

Meanwhile, Muslim players in the team were being expected on Sunday to offer special prayers for the team during the Eid-El-Fitri celebration to mark the end of the one-month fasting period.

Morakinyo Abodunrin, the team’s Media Officer, in a statement in Calabar on Saturday, said 12 of the players in the team’s camp had observed the Ramadan fasting.

He however said the players featured in all the team’s training sessions, in spite of the fasting, and that they distinguished themselves in practice matches as well.

The team spokesman said Garba was impressed with the conduct of the players throughout the Ramadan period.

One of the Muslim players, Zaharadden Bello, said that it was his first time to observe Sallah outside Kano.

“I have really enjoyed my stay in Calabar and the fasting did not affect my training,’’ he said.