Nigeria’s teenage football sensation, Onuche Ogbelu, has said it took wisdom and intervention of the proprietor of his alma mater, FOSLA Academy, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, and coaches in the school for him to overcome the pains of his exclusion from the Flying Eagles squad to the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
After playing a key role in the qualification of Nigeria for the youth championship beginning from the WAFU B tournament to the 2023 AFCON, the ‘schoolboy international’ was left out of the squad for the cadet World Cup.
Following the setback, Ogbelu who spoke exclusively to Daily Trust said he felt disappointed over his exclusion from the World Cup but his handlers encouraged him to remain focused.
He said the former NFF president, Lulu Abdullahi, told him that he has a bright future ahead of him and that if he continues to work hard, one day he would be invited to play for the Super Eagles.
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According to him, when he reflected on the words of encouragement from his proprietor and coaches in FOSLA, he immediately put the disappointment behind him as he started to focus more on his professional career.
“Of course, when I discovered I wasn’t going to the World Cup, I felt disappointed. However, I looked at it as a blessing in disguise.
“Secondly, my father and guardian, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, and FOSLA Academy coaches spoke words of encouragement to me. They told me that I have a bright future ahead of me so I shouldn’t be demoralised.
“That was how I put behind me that disappointment. After some time, I picked up myself and felt normal again,” he said.
Ogbelu who had a brief stint with the now-relegated Nasarawa United said he was satisfied with the performance of the team.
The talented midfielder said he was with the team in spirt and also offered words of encouragement to his teammates before and after matches.
“I followed the team. I watched all the matches and talked to some of the players to encourage them. We discussed before and after matches because I believed I was still a part of the team,” he stated.
The Flying Eagles crashed out of the 2023 U-20 World Cup at the quarterfinal stage to South Korea who edged them 1-0 in extra time.
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