"Playing for the national team has been my greatest moment in life" - Special Eagles captain

Sharafahdeen wants to become a professional footballer, representing the best clubs in the world and dreams of playing for Nigeria as an able-bodied footballer. 

Fate has other plans for him, he got one of his legs amputated after he picked up an injury while playing amateur football. 

it seems the world is crashing on his feet but he was courageous to face the challenge and found succor in Amputee Football. 

Amputee Football is a kind of football played by persons with a one-leg amputated and supporting the other with a crutch to find balance. The goalkeeper also must have one handoff.

The game provide an alternative platform, and he reconnected with his first love and fulfill his dream of playing football abroad and representing Nigeria. 

The footballer was in Turkey in 2015 and 2017 playing professional football for Istanbul Spor Kulubu (2015) and Burs Spor Kulubu (2017 ) respectively.

He got connected with the Nigeria Amputee National Football team, otherwise known as the Special Eagles. 

The Computer Engineering graduate captained the team to a second-place finish at Amputee Football African Cup of Nations in 2019 and also qualify for the World Cup in Mexico the same year. 

This is the highest achievement for the team since the country joins the community of Amputee Football playing nation in 2007. 

He declared those moments as one of his greatest in life, wearing the green white green colors of Nigeria, finding enough courage to overcome initial setbacks and fulfilling his childhood dream even when all hope is lost.

Sharafadeen summarizes his experience when talking exclusively to pulse. ng in Lagos, where the Special Eagles are camping for the 2021 Amputee Football African Cup Of Nations, (CANAF) in Tanzania.

"Playing for the national team has been my greatest moment and also been the captain that took the team to her first-ever medal at the last African Amputee Nations Cup, Angola 2019. Thus, it was not an easy task as that will be the first time I will be leading the team, but to all glory to God, we can deliver with the help of my teammates and it has been one of our or let me say our happiest moment playing Amputee football after 17 years of playing football" said Sharafahdeen.

The Nigerian team has been drawn in a tough group alongside former CANAF champion, Ghana and Egypt in a draw held on Thursday (28 October 2021 ) in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania.

The mercurial Amputee Footballer described the Nations Cup as another challenge for him and his teammates to make Nigeria proud again in Tanzania 

"God will also see us through in Tanzania, as I am optimistic the team and the technical crew will deliver and make Nigeria proud again at the African Amputee Nations Cup in Tanzania 2021 coming next month".

But unlike the episode of 2019 when the team has to beg for funds and even went as far as raising funds on the internet to be able to prosecute national assignments, according to the team captain, the support has been coming from the sports ministry. 

Sharafahdeen talks about the preparation of the team for the competition that will begin on 28 November 2021 as the major challenge is to play well at the Nations Cup and qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Turkey 

" The support has been coming in readiness for the forthcoming African Amputee Nations Cup in Tanzania. The camp and training ground has been secured through the ministry of youth and sports " 

However, the captain is still asking for more, he wants the team to be fortified with some foreign-based players. He also wants the player's allowance to be considered and the matter flight tickets to the biennial competition to be sorted as quickly as possible.

"The major challenge is soliciting to get our other professional players into the team so we have a more formidable team as we are not underrating any of our opponents. Bringing in the foreign-based professionals will also contribute to the team's success as their experiences and contribution will go a long way to make the team better, and allowances another major key area that needs to be given due consideration as these will motivate the players to give their very best and the issue of flight ticket for the players to the competition needs to sort as quickly as possible too.

The native of Irra Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State wants more attention for the Special Eagles in Nigeria from the Sports Ministry as well as more recognition from the Federation Government as the level of progression and development of Amputee Football in the country has been encouraging.

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Olusola Adebayo is a highly-skilled, enthusiastic, self-motivated writer with over 10 successful years of experience. 

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