The League Management Company (LMC) has praised the country's CHAN Eagles despite failing to win the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations.
The Nigerians were hammered 4-1 by Ghana in an epic final in Cape Coast over the weekend.
According to the LMC Chairman, Shehu Dikko who was at the finals on Sunday, said he was impressed by the determination from the players that saw them come from the brink of ouster at the group stage to reach the finals.
“Winning the trophy would no doubt have been delightful, but the LMC is happy for the exposure the players have gained from playing in an international tournament of this nature and more importantly, it is a learning curve for them ahead the 2018 CHAN”, stated Dikko.
Dikko also noted that the tournament has offered the players and coaches more time to bond and understand each other as compared to when they were just invited to camp to play for the CHAN qualifiers, adding, “It is our belief that a lot has been learnt on the side of the coaches and on the side of the players.
Whatever gaps were observed at the WAFU tournament will be the tool to improve the team going forward”.
The players were drawn from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) organized by the LMC.