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I’ve football in my blood, says Amuneke

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In from Nifemi Daniel . . .

Gold Eaglets coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, has praised his players for winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile saying the feat was inspired because he has football in his blood.

The Eaglets won the U-17 World Cup after defeating Mali 2-0 last night in Chile. This is Nigeria’s 5th U-17 World Cup title after winning it in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013.

Speaking at the post match conference, the former Barcelona player said, “It was a beautiful and entertaining match. I think the people in the stadium enjoyed it today. We knew that Mali are technically very strong, have great individual players and are very fast.”

Amuneke added that they had to change the game tactics after the goalless first half which he attributed as the secret of the team’s victory in the final.

“We wanted to make no mistakes but we lost the ball many times in the midfield in the first half. But I don’t want to complain because they are all kids. We changed some things in the second half and made some substitutes.

“That brought us more safety in our game. We are thankful for everything. We wanted to bring the players to their dreams and we did it,” he stressed.

He however challenge the players to stay focused as they return to their families while appreciating the fans in Chile for standing by the team.

“Thanks for the support. We feel like we are at home. We have worked very hard for this success and we hope to continue.

“The players will go home now but their journey is not over yet. Personally I’m really happy. I have football in my blood, as a player and as a coach. This is what I want to pass to my players,” he added.

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