Nigeria: Flying Eagles name 30 for Egypt friendlies ahead of U20 AFCON

The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that the Flying Eagles will play two friendly matches against Egypt’s U20 national team in February, Soccernet.football reports.

This is even as the team begins preparations for the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations, set to take place in April.

Ahead of the double-headed faceoff with Egypt, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has named a 30-man squad for a two-match friendly tour of the North African nation later this month.

The squad features a mix of emerging talents from Nigeria’s domestic league, including Diamond Academy goalkeeper Light Emerenonye, Enugu Rangers defender Kenneth Igbokwe, Niger Tornadoes midfielder Mohammed Ibrahim, and exciting forward Shola Adelami of Ikorodu City.

The Flying Eagles, seven-time African champions, will take on their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo on 25th and 27th February as part of their preparations for the continental tournament.

This year’s U20 AFCON will be hosted in Côte d’Ivoire from 26th April to 18th May, with the top four teams securing qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for 27th September to 19th October.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have a rich history in youth football, having won the U20 AFCON in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, and 2015. They also secured their place at this year’s tournament by winning the WAFU-B U20 Championship in Lomé, Togo, last October, where they defeated Ghana’s Black Satellites 3-1 in the final.

We win!

Fulltime in Lome

Ghana 1-2 Nigeria

Kparobo Arierhi’s two goals in the final hands Nigeria the WAFU B U20 title.#SoarFlyingEagles pic.twitter.com/vGu1UYzc6r

— The NFF (@thenff) October 30, 2024

At the most recent edition of the U20 AFCON, the Flying Eagles finished in third place.

Matchday
U20 Afcon Third-Place Playoff

Nigeria vs Tunisia#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 pic.twitter.com/xQMvTPHvNd

— African Soccer Updates (@Africansoccerup) March 10, 2023

The team has also enjoyed notable success on the world stage, finishing as runners-up at the FIFA U20 World Cup in 1989 and 2005. At the most recent edition of the tournament in Argentina, they narrowly missed out on the semi-finals, falling to South Korea in extra time.

Yes!!!! FT in San Juan! The Flying Eagles are through to the Q/Final of the #U20WC.

Argentina 0-2 Nigeria #SoarFlyingEagles#U20WC pic.twitter.com/qYzZ7T8m6q

— The NFF (@thenff) May 31, 2023

Zubairu’s squad will use the Egypt friendlies as an opportunity to fine-tune tactics and assess player readiness ahead of the crucial AFCON challenge.

Flying Eagles 30-man squad:

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)