By Akeem Busari
Nigeria’s Deaf National football team, on Monday, at the mainbow of the National Stadium, Surulere, rounded off its preparations for the football event of the Deaflympics coming up in Turkey, later this month with a resounding 5-1 win in a friendly game against the Power Eagles, the national team of players disabled by the Cerebral Palsy disease.
The keenly-contested tie belies the scoreline as the two sides displayed technical and tactical knowledge of the game to the appreciation of the modest crowd at the game.
The Power Eagles, as the Deaf national team are known, are billed to travel out of the country early next week to defend the colours of the country in its first ever participation in the global sports event.
Speaking with the press at the end of the game, the Secretary-General of the Cerebral Palsy Football Association, Ms. Amaka Okediadi, remarked that the game was a nice experience for the Power Eagles, as it would also put the team in a good stead for its forthcoming games against Ghana and Tunisia.
On his part, Rev. Samuel Ikpea, the National Chairman of Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), who is also the Chairman of Lagos State Deaf Sports Association, as well as, the Vice President of the Deaf Sports Federation of Nigeria, expressed his satisfaction with the level of preparations of the Deaf Eagles for the Deaflympics.
Adding that corporate organisations should rally in support of the physically challenged athletes in their quests to bring honour to the country.
The Deaf Eagles would be going into the Deaflympics games as African champions having won a record fourth title in Mali.
