Solomon Dalung Reveals Discussion With President Buhari Over 2018 World Cup

Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Thursday, held a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Super Eagles efforts to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Dalung, after the closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said he also spoke on other developments in sports.

Dalung said he informed Buhari of a Nigerian into the board of Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), defeated the President of the Football Association of Benin Republic, Anjorin Moucharafou, to clinch CAF Executive Committee seat for the 2017 to 2021 cycle.

His words: “I updated hm on the need for us to intensify our mobilisation efforts for the World Cup qualifier. Although we are topping the group, it is not Uhuru for us. We need to do more.

“I drew his attention to the fact that we have received the Queen’s Relay baton which kick-starts the mobilisation for Commonwealth Games in Queensland, Australia in 2018.

“The baton is a Commonwealth tradition which is always flagged off by the Queen and she did that in March and it has been to six African countries with Nigeria being the seventh and it will proceed from here.

“The significance of the baton is its a wake-up call to countries to begin to prepare for the games.

“And we as a country had always performed very well in the games. There is a need for us to try and surpass our records in the next Commonwealth games.’’