Cote d’Ivoire 2025: Flying Eagles return to camp for Egypt friendlies
Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu has called to camp 30 players as Nigeria’s U-20 boys, Flying Eagles, prepare for a two-match tour of Egypt later this month.
Team Administrator, Aliyu Lawal Ibrahim said that the seven-time African champions will clash with their Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, capital of Egypt in friendly matches that have been scheduled for 25th and 27th February.
This year’s Africa U-20 Cup of Nations will be staged in Cote d’Ivoire, 26th April – 18th May, with the four top-placed finishers qualifying to represent the continent at the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Chile, 27th September – 19th October.
The Flying Eagles, champions of Africa in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015, won the WAFU-B U-20 Championship held in Lome, Togo in October last year to be eligible for the finals in Cote d’Ivoire. They defeated Ghana’s Black Satellites 3-1 in the final match.
The two-time FIFA World Cup runners-up, in 1989 and 2005, came within breathing distance of the semi-finals at the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Argentina, before losing narrowly to Korea Republic after extra time.
FLYING EAGLES FOR CAMPING IN ABUJA FOR EGYPT FRIENDLIES:
Goalkeepers: Ifeanyi Harcourt (Sporting Lagos); Light Emerenonye (Diamond Academy); Abubakar Rufai (Mavlon FC)
Defenders: Adamu Maigari (El-Kanemi Warriors); Daniel Bameyi (Bayelsa United); Kenneth Igbokwe (Enugu Rangers); Haruna Aliyu (Wikki Tourists); Musa Ademu (Wireless FC); Shamsudeen Muhammad (Mavlon FC); Ibrahim Abdullahi; Shamsudeen Ishaq (Grassrunner FC); Steven Jolomi (Mavlon FC)
Midfielders: Raphael Oyebanji (Shuffle Select FC); Mohammed Ibrahim (Niger Tornadoes); Kizito Opara (Campus Academy); Alabi Sulaiman Jojo (El-Kanemi Warriors); Sulaiman Abubakar (Diamond Academy); Shafiu Adamu (Wikki Tourists); Cletus Simon (Mavlon FC)
Forwards: Bidemi Amole (Real Sapphire Academy); Clinton Japhet (Enyimba FC); Matthew Chukwusa (Morack Academy); Nasiru Salihu (El-Kanemi Warriors); Divine Olisha (Fostar Academy); Jerry Salami (Aspire Academy); Oluwaseyi Akinfenwa (Real Sapphire Academy); Shola Adelami (Ikorodu City); Abdulrahaman Ishaq (Sport Supply Academy); Ezekiel Anthony (Aspire Academy); Sodiq Olalekan Adewunmi (Jaguar Sports FC)
