He’s only 15 but it would be hard to find a more passionate Nigeria and Super Eagles fan across the country.
Abubakar Haruna Gurugu came in on all four limbs to watch the Super Eagles training on Saturday evening at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, a day after Nigeria were held by Egypt.
He ended up being a friend to the stars.
It was striker Odion Ighalo who first took interest in the lad before Abubakar then turned his charms on captain John Obi Mikel.
Mikel and the young man spoke for almost five minutes about Friday’s game among many other topics while seated on the tartan tracks of the stadium.
After what looked like a heartfelt discussion between both, Abubakar then gently crawled away and made his way out of the stadium.
“I wasn’t happy about the draw,” Abubakar, who seemed to have been struck by polio as a child, told nigerisoccernet.com “How can Egypt draw Nigeria in Kaduna!”
The lad, who spoke mostly in Hausa, must have impressed the players with his passion and it seems they promised to lend him some assistance.
Ighalo asked around for a phone number for the boy’s guardian while Mikel also said he would offer some help, Abubakar said.