Nigeria have contacted English club, Chelsea on releasing their youngster, Habib Makanjuola to join up with the nation's Under-17 squad.
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The West Africans are preparing for the 2013 Fifa Under-17 World Championship scheduled for the UAE from October 17 to November 8.
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"The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dispatched a letter to English Premiership side, Chelsea requesting that Nigerian youngster, Habib Makanjuola be allowed to join the Golden Eaglets ahead of the 2013 Under-17 World Cup to be hosted in the UAE between October 17 and November 8," a statement from the Nigerian Under-17 team spokesman read at the weekend.
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Makanjuola has already trained with the Nigerian under-17s and impressed their head coach, Manu Garba.
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The Chelsea youngster had said he is keen to run out for Nigeria's Golden Eaglets.
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"I'm a Nigerian boy through-and-through and the only country I want to play for is Nigeria," said the 14-year-old when he trained with the Nigeria squad in an open screening exercise recently.
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"I'm determined to do the best I can to be part of the Golden Eaglets to the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates."
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Golden Eaglets head coach, Garba is keen to have the young player in his squad but made it clear that team selection will be "based only on merit."
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"Of course, we have seen that Makanjuola can be useful to the team and that is why we have extended the invitation to him but team selection here is based only on merit," Garba said.
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NFF's Assistant Secretary General, Technical, Emmanuel Ikpeme, has also confirmed that Makanjuola has undergone the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan.
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"Makanjuola has already done the mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan at the Abuja National Hospital, so the only thing left is for him to come and compete against the rest of the players for a place in the squad for the World Cup," said Ikpeme.
There are so many good footballers in Nigeria right about now so I must really commend the nation for a job well done!