Nigeria hope to produce a new Senior National team for the eight –nation invitational tournament which the authorities have accepted to participate in the United States of America in February next year.
Tagged ‘2011 Green Soccer Bowl Tournament, the invitational is being organized by the United States Presidents Day Celebration Soccer Invitational Tournament Foundation and will involve teams from African, European and Asian continents.
Already, Nigeria has been drawn in Group A of the competition to play alongside Poland, Malaysia and Iraq at the tournament that will take place between February 12-20, 2011.
NFF’s Assistant General Secretary (Competitions), Dr. Sanusi Mohammed confirmed on Friday that the Super Eagles will participate in the extravaganza.
“We will take part in the competition. The organizers have been in touch with us for some months now and they are requesting for either our A team or B team. But we feel it is a good avenue to expose the locally –based players and a good opportunity for the players to show what they can do.
“It is a worthwhile invitational tournament and we plan to present a strong team as we’re about rebuilding the Super Eagles”, said Dr. Mohammed.
There are three teams from Africa, two from Europe and three from Asia. Group B is headed by seven –time African champions Egypt, and also has Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya and Bahrain.
Among the benefits of the tournament to the participating teams is the opportunity to try and develop players from the local league in an international match, instead of relying on players playing professionally abroad all the time, which is one of the principal desires of the present leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation.
The nine –day competition will be staged at the Ford Field Stadium in Detroit, Michigan and PHP Stadium in Dallas, Texas.