Following his side’s recent victory on Saturday, Academy coach, Alfred Madaki says Vandrezzer FC have the best under-15 players in Nigeria.
The Junior Lions made their first trip to Eket on Saturday, November 5, 2022, to play a friendly match with City Bet FC (formerly Josima FC) and were warmly welcomed to the oil-producing area.
It’s been a theme in nearly all the games they have played, squaring up against older boys and beating their opponents at every point without being fazed by their sizes and heights.
At the Government Secondary School, Afaha Eket, the young Lions glide their way through, cutting their host with precision and confidence that precedes their young age.
They certainly did not disappoint the turnout crowd who were all out to see this much ado about Vandrezzer FC, with a superb well taken long ranger from Victor Felix in the early exchanges to get the fans jumping.
City Bet pegged back with an equalizer but the young Lions didn’t let the goal derail their approach.
“The plan is to keep this group for three to five years and see them develop,” Coach Alfred Madaki told The Athletic NG after the game in Eket.
“I’ve coached through age-grade football and I can tell you these boys are special, they are the best under-15 players in Nigeria, that is, if you will even find any other club willing to invest in their future.”
Madaki joined Vandrezzer FC in February 2021 as assistant coach to Rafael Everton before taking over in an interim capacity when the Brazilian coach left the club.
He is renowned for spotting talents and nurturing them to become superstars having previously done similar jobs with Destiny Boys FC and Joy Cometh FC.
He has remained with the club and is now leading the next generation of talent to interpret the vision of the club.
His boys roared back into the game with another stunner from Anthony Anthony in the closing stages of the game to secure an impressive victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Eket.
The next target for Freddo and his boys should be the NDDC Under-17 tournament which is billed for December 2022 in Delta State, with preliminary matches expected to go ahead in Akwa Ibom before the end of November.
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