Super Eagles :Peters Based Plan On Eaglets

Super Eagles interim coach James Peters said he would give the victorious Golden Eaglets a greater role in the national team he plans to raise.
Until last week, Peters was the Assistant Head of Technical Department of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and was the surprise choice as the part time coach after the NFA board failed to ratify a coach from among the 12 coaches interviewed for the post last week.
Peters told THISDAYSports yesterday that part of his brief in the new capacity would be to turn up at league centres to scout for home-based players to be groomed for the Super Eagles.
Peters who was among the crowd in Kaduna on Sunday in a Challenge Cup match will storm Bauchi today to see Wikki Tourists play Jigawa Golden Stars.
According to him the players discovered will be exposed to a series of friendly matches later this month to give them needed international impetus.
“My priority is to discover fresh pool of talents for the national team from the local league. I was at some centres over the weekend and will also be in Bauchi on Tuesday,” Peters said.
The former Eagles assistant coach said that in line with his new philosophy he would summon some of the Eaglets that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea last year to join some of the local and foreign-based players for the proposed friendly against Austria later this month.
He also said that some of the players would play a big role for the national team in future national engagements.
According to him some of the members of the U-17 team that defeated Spain to secure Nigeria its third U-17 titles will be worthy materials for the national team if encouraged.
Already three of the players weaned by the late Yemi Tella including Haruna Lukman, Kingsley Udoh and Rabiu Ibrahim have already been issued full international caps against Sudan by the former Eagles coach Berti Vogts during the build up to Ghana 2008.
“There will be greater role for the Golden Eaglets in the new dispensation. Some of them will be drafted into the Super Eagles and considered for the friendly game against Austria because they are good players who need encouragement.”
Peters will oversee the Super Eagles for at least the next one month, when a substantive coach is expected to be picked from the four recommended to the board by its Technical Committee.