Abedi & Co For Abuja Soccer Fiesta

The calibre of soccer stars that will take the stage when Abuja celebrates its 30th anniversary with a great football match November 15 is soaring everyday. Nigeria's best ever World Cup squad, the USA ‘94 team are billed to play against the Rest of the World that would comprise the likes of Les Ferdinand, Paul

Parker, Abede Pele, Tony Yeboah, Lucas Radebe, Phil Massinga, Patrick Mboma, Alfonso Peres, Nii Ordartey Lamptey, Tony Baffoe, etc. These players will star against USA’94 Eagles in the prestigious Abuja Stadium. Stephen Keshi, voted Africa’s best coach last year and captain of the squad will lead

his team again. Then the gangling Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Finidi George, Tijani Babangida, Austin Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Thompson Oliha, Aloy Agu,

Emeka Ezeugo, Ben Iroha, Austin Eguaveon and ever resilient Chidid Nwanu will all play.

Some players were dropped from the camp before the final selection of players to our first ever World Cup. Clemens Westerhof, Nigeria’s best ever foreign coach

called these players on the eve of their exclusion from camp and addressed them this way: “There’s no doubt that you are good players. You have worked hard and I am impressed at what you have done here. But there’s no doubt, again, that you are great

players for the future. You will be the stars of tomorrow. So, as you go now, don’t be down. I want you to have confidence in the fact that you are the future stars of

Nigeria and very soon your time will come. But at this moment, you may not play in this World Cup. You, therefore, return to your clubs and wait for your call which

will soon come because I know the potential you have.”

One of the gifts God gave to Westerhof is the ability to fish out potentials and develop them. His words came to pass. Among these players were Nwankwo Kanu

and Taribo West. The man saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the success of the November 15 match, Daniel Amokachi, has announced that the two players

have been included in the Nigerian team that will take on the Rest of the World. African legend, Jomo Sono will coach the Rest of the World while Westerhof will

train the team that he made history with.

Amina Salhu, the Senior Special Assistant to Nasir el-Rufai the minister of Federal Capital Territory told the media last week that there would be other programmes

that would make the celebration memorable. She informed that the match was expected to raise funds which would add to the funds needed for the construction of

1000 houses for the poor in Abuja.