Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, is the latest person to pledge a cash reward to Nigeria’s under-20 men’s team, who are currently competing in the WAFU B U20 Championship in Lome, Togo.
Ndidi has reportedly promised to support the Flying Eagles with a cash reward of N5 million following their nail-biting encounter against Ivory Coast on Thursday.
Aliyu Zubairu’s team needed to defeat the Young Elephants having lost their opening game to Burkina Faso. They took the hard route, however, clawing back from a goal behind to clinch a 2-1 win, and secure a semifinal berth as they continue to push to defend their title.
Ndidi’s kind gesture, which was confirmed by the Flying Eagles’ media officer Sharif Abdallah, is among a host of other support that has been shown to the team, with the hopes of motivating them to win the title and subsequently secure a spot in next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations (AFCON).
It is important to note that Swiss-based football coach Adeyemi Adedeji pledged N1 million to the team if they reached the semis.
Also, Remos Stars President and owner of ValueJet, Hon. Kunle Sonome, gave the team N1 million on their departure to Togo, as well as promised them N5 million if they defend their title.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau donated N2 million to the squad, adding to the N1 million gift from sports philanthropist Victor Apugo, who also promised to increase it to N3 million if they win their semifinal match.
Likewise, Kenneth Agadugba, the chairman of Mavlon FC, has already transferred N2 million to the team and pledged to increase the amount to N12 million if the Flying Eagles reach the final.
The Flying Eagles, having surmounted the hurdle of making it out of a tough Group A, must now focus on defeating Niger Republic in their semifinal clash on Saturday at the Municipal Stadium, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. Nigeria time.
If Zubairu’s team overcome their opponent, they automatically get a ticket to next year’s U20 AFCON, and reaching the final may provide an opportunity to face Ivory Coast again as they are up against Ghana in the second semifinal.
