Flying Eagles’, how the nickname came about in Nigeria’s football
Nicknames for country’s national football team gives a unique identity to the team. Some of the names might be as the result of their quest in matches played.
But Nigeria being a loving football nation has unique names for her national football teams from junior team to the senior team both the men and the women.
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According to a publication by Sports Village Square, after the famous UK Tourists of 1949 who played their matches in olive green shirts and white shorts, the Nigerian national football team adopted red as their colour.
Lady Harriet Allen who was the cheerleader of the Nigerian team and the one responsible for the formation of the Nigerian Supporters Club in 1957 nicknamed the Nigerian team as the ‘Red Devils’.
She was popularly called the Lady in Scarlet and was the wife of Derby Allen who became the last expatriate NFA chairman.
Later via an article published in the Daily Times edition of 15 April 1961, Peter Osugo rechristened the team Green Eagles.
On 29 March 1988, the team was renamed “Super Eagles” by Vice Admiral Augustus Aikhomu.
The U-20 team was nicknamed by Mr. Isaac Akioye, who was the Director at the National Sports Commission in the 1980s.
The team was originally then known as “Greater Tomorrow”. But upon return from Brazil, alongside their senior colleagues, then Green Eagles”, Akioye renamed the U20 team as “Flying Eagles” for the good results they posted in their training tour of Brazil.
Sports Village Square
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