Head Coach Aliyu Zubair has selected talented midfielder Nasiru Salihu and forward Charles Agada among a list of 20 players to fly Nigeria’s flag at the WAFU B U20 Championship kicking off in Lome, Togo on Thursday. The championship is a qualifying tournament for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
The contingent of 20 players and 12 officials arrived in Lome on Tuesday afternoon, following an intensive, one-week final camping programme at the high-grade Remo Stars Training Complex in Ikenne, Ogun State.
Proprietor of the institute and president of Nigeria Premier Football League club Remo Stars, Hon. Kunle Soname has promised the Flying Eagles the sum of N5 million if the Cup holders successfully defend their title in Togo and return the trophy home. He also gave the team the sum of N1 million on departure from the institute on Monday.
The Flying Eagles won the last edition of the competition staged in Niamey, capital of Niger Republic. They will take on their counterparts from Burkina Faso on Friday, in their first match of the competition, and will also play Cote d’Ivoire in a three-team Group B, with the two best teams to reach the semi finals.
Group A has hosts Togo, Ghana, Niger Republic and Benin Republic.
Flying Eagles final squad
Goalkeepers: Ifeanyi Harcourt (Sporting Lagos); Nathaniel Nwosu (Nasarawa United)
Defenders: Adamu Maigari (El-Kanemi Warriors); Daniel Bameyi (Bayelsa United); Kenneth Igboke (Enugu Rangers); Haruna Aliyu (Doma United); Musa Ademu (Wireless FC); Olalekan Alabi (El-Kanemi Warriors)
Midfielders: Raphael Oyebanjo (Shuffle Select FC); Muhammad Ibrahim (Niger Tornadoes); Oluwaseyi Akinfenwa (Real Sapphire FC); Ibrahim Abdullahi (Bayelsa United); Isaac Ayuma (NK Istra, Croatia); Nasiru Salihu (El-Kanemi Warriors).
Forwards: Divine Oliseh (Forster FC); Charles Agada (Mavlon FC); Kparobo Arierhi (Beyond Limits FC); Olalekan Amole (Real Sapphire FC); Olalekan Ibrahim (Central Academy); Clinton Jephta (Enyimba FC).
