Flamingos, Eaglets provide lustre to 22nd National Sports Festival

Five-time world champions, the Golden Eaglets, and FIFA U-17 World Cup-bound Flamingos have been adding colour and flair to the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The two teams are part of an exciting new concept, Invited Junior Athletes (IJA), which has drawn praise from observers and stakeholders since the commencement of the Games.

The Golden Eaglets are in a three-team group and have already advanced to the quarter-finals of the football event after a 2-1 win over Edo State on Monday and a goalless draw with Delta State on Tuesday. Abdulmuiz Adeleke and Mohammed Imrana were the scorers for the Eaglets.

The Flamingos, who defeated South Africa and Algeria to qualify for their eighth FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, drew 0-0 with Abia State on Monday and edged Delta State 1-0 on Tuesday. Defender Jumai Adebayo scored the lone goal.

On Thursday, the Flamingos will take on Lagos State, and they will conclude their Group B campaign with a match against Enugu State on Saturday.