National deaf football team leaves Nigeria for Sierra Leone for WADFU tournament

National deaf football team leaves Nigeria for Sierra Leone for WADFU tournament

The national deaf football team, known as “Deaf Eagles”, on Thursday departed the country aboard Africa World Airline (AWA) for the 8th West Africa Deaf Football Union (WADFU) tournament in Sierra Leone.

Amuda Ibrahim, Director, Nigeria Deaf Sports Union (NDSU), told Supreme Magazine that the contingent comprising 15 players and one official left from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Supreme Magazine reports that Nigeria alongside hosts Sierra Leone, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso will feature in the WADFU tournament holding in Freetown from Sept. 27 to Oct. 6.

“The first batch of players comprising 15 players and national coach, Banjo Kamiludeen, left this morning through the Murtalla Mohammed International Airport, Lagos for the deaf football tournament taking place in Sierra Leone.

“It’s a thing of joy that at last the Deaf Eagles are able to make it to the tournament because the challenges encountered in the whole thing was much,” he said.

He named the players as Ishode Nelson, Uzoma Victor, Adamu Sulaiman, Bulus Emmanuel, Adaola Adegoke, Oluwafemi Solomon, Uchechi Chinonye, Ezeama Chukwudi, Joel Somidah, Charles Jonah, Bello Shuaibu, Oyelekan Amousa, Olatunji Samson, Yakubu Ahamadu and Yau Elsaleh.

According to him, the remaining three players who could not secure seats would join the others on Friday, adding that they were able to secure only 16 seats in the flight.

Meanwhile, Kamiludeen, national coach of the Nigeria Deaf Football Association (NDFA), told Supreme Magazine that the players had trained well and were in good shape for a victorious outing in the tournament.

He said that necessary preparations were thoroughly done and that the boys were happy to go fly the country’s flag and lift the tournament’s trophy to book a place in Africa Nations Cup.

“We are battle ready, the boys are excited that they are going to represent their country, Nigeria and we are assuring the nation that we will deliver.

“The tournament is also a qualification event for the Africa Deaf Nations Cup, so our target is to lift this trophy which will guarantee us qualification to the Africa Nations Cup,” he added.

Supreme Magazine reports that Nigeria Deaf Eagles rank number one by WADFU rankings and have made five outings in the annual tournament and also are three times champions and two times runners up.

Source: NAN

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