The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung on Thursday in Kaduna inaugurated the local organizing committee for the Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations, Nigeria 2016.
With inspiring words and a buoyant smile, Dalung charged the committee to work hard and diligently, in order to deliver a championship that the Government and people of Nigeria would be proud of.
His words: “You are exemplary Nigerians, no doubt about that. I want you to work at maximum capacity to organize a competition that the whole nation would cherish. You are capable of doing that, because the faces I see here those of men and woman of immense calibre.”
The committee is headed by Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, who is also the NFF 1st Vice President. NFF Executive Committee member, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande is vice chairman, with another NFF Executive Committee member, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu as member.
Other members are Mr. Adeyinka Adeboye, Mr. Athanasius Okon, Mr. Bolaji Yusuf, Mr. Salisu Nakande, Mr. Nansel Nimyel, Mr. Sunny Moniedafe, Mrs Margaret Icheen and Mr. Samson Adamu, who is also Director of Organization. NFF’s Acting Director of Competitions, Mr. Bola Oyeyode is Secretary, with former NFF President Anthony Kojo Williams as Adviser.
The 2016 Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations, which Nigeria will host in December, will also serve as the African qualifying tournament for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, holding in The Bahamas.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick remarked that the hosting right underscored the new reckoning that Nigeria has in international football, as well as the excellent record of the COPA Lagos Invitational Beach Soccer Tournament, which is in its fifth year.
Also at the inauguration were NFF 2nd Vice President, Mr. Shehu Dikko and NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.
