FIFA Made Error For Bronze Ball At U17 World Cup

FIFA sends a mail to Nigeria Football Federation to admit error in handling the bronze boot to Nwakali instead of Samuel Chukwueze.

Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has admitted its error in awarding Nigeria captain Kelechi Nwakali the bronze boot of the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup finals in Chile. In a letter to the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, and signed by Mustapha Fahmy, Director of the Football Division, the world body wrote “We made a mistake at the closing ceremony of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 with the distribution of the Adidas Bronze Boot. Instead of player no. 8 of Nigeria, Samuel Chukwueze, the player Kelechi Nwakali (player no. 10 of Nigeria) received the Adidas Bronze Boot. However, if two or more players are still equal (after goals and assists), the player who has played fewer numbers of minutes will be ranked first, Nwakali played more minutes (630 minutes) as against Chukwueze’s 535 minutes. With this in mind, Adidas will send you another Bronze Boot in December 2015, which we would kindly ask you to hand over to Samuel Chukwueze. Please be informed that Kelechi Nwakali may keep his trophy”.

Nwakali, who was voted Most Valuable Player of the Tournament and earned the Golden Ball, tied with compatriot Chukwueze for third place with three goals and three assists.

Thanks FIFA for redeeming yourself, but I have got a question for the readers, if you were Kelechi Nwakali and you were told to return the trophy would you?  

Compiled by: Adekunle Adewale (@hrhmayowa)