The Flying Eagles of Nigeria have begun camping with 30 invited players ahead of their two-match friendly tour of Egypt later this month. Head coach Aliyu Zubairu selected a mix of home-based talents as the team intensifies preparations for the upcoming Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
According to Team Administrator Aliyu Lawal Ibrahim, Nigeria’s U20 side will face Egypt’s U20 team in two friendly matches on February 25 and 27 in Cairo. These matches will help fine-tune the squad before the AFCON tournament in Côte d'Ivoire, which is set to take place from April 26 to May 18, 2025.
The Flying Eagles qualified for the U20 AFCON after winning the WAFU-B U20 Championship in Lome, Togo, last year, defeating Ghana’s Black Satellites 3-1 in the final. They will aim to secure one of the four available tickets to the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for September 27 to October 19, 2025.
Nigeria has a rich history in youth football, having won the U20 AFCON seven times (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, and 2015). The Flying Eagles have also finished as runners-up in the FIFA U20 World Cup twice, in 1989 and 2005.
Coach Zubairu has invited the following players to camp:
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)
- Abdulrahman Ishaq (Sport Supply Academy)
- Ezekiel Anthony (Aspire Academy)
- Sodiq Olalekan Adewunmi (Jaguar Sports FC)
With a blend of experienced NPFL players and promising young talents from various academies, the Flying Eagles will use the friendly matches to assess their tactical approach, build team chemistry, and finalize the squad for the AFCON tournament.
The team is expected to depart for Egypt soon, where they will continue their preparations for the continental tournament. These games will also offer players the opportunity to impress the coaching staff as they compete for spots in the final squad.
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