Flying Eagles Coach Paul Aigbogun has released his final list of 18 players who will represent Nigeria at the 12th All-Africa Games starting this week in Morocco.
The U20 team has been training in Abuja for the past two weeks as they prepare for Africa’s showpiece multi-sport event.
The team of 18 players and their officials will travel to Lagos on Tuesday and then fly to Morocco on Wednesday morning.
Aigbogun has kept faith with the bulk of the players who were part of the training camp in Germany before the FIFA U20 World Cup held in Poland May/June this year.
Plateau United’s Ibrahim Abubakar will captain the team, while there is a return to the squad for Success Makanjuola, Chinonso Emeka, Peter Eletu, Collins Sor and Rabiu Mohammed who all featured at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland.
The Flying Eagles will start their campaign in the football event on August 16 against Burkina Faso in Rabat.
Abubakar said the team will do its best to put Nigeria on the podium at the continental Games.
“We have been preparing hard at training and the coaches have also been talking to us and telling us about the importance of the competition,” he said.
“I know Nigerians want us to do well and we want to make sure we make them proud by doing all we can to go as far as we can at the Games. This is a great opportunity for me and my teammates to make the nation proud and we are determined to do so,” Abubakar added.
18 FLYING EAGLES FOR RABAT 2019
Goalkeepers: Detan Ogundare (Kogi United), Matthew Yakubu (Clique Sports)
Defenders: Rabiu Mohammed (Plateau United), Mike Zaruma (Plateau United), Habibu Sadiq Yakubu (Rarara FC), Victor Arikpo Eteng (Sidos FC), Sanusi Abdulmutallif (Katsina United)
Midfielders: Peter Eletu (Prince Kazeem FC), Adewale Oladoye (Water FC), Liameed Quadri (36 Lion), Samuel Nnoshiri (Heartland), Abubakar Ibrahim (Plateau United)
Forwards: Emeka Chinonso (Brookhouse), Success Makanjuola (Water FC), Collins Sor (36 Lion), Saeed Jibril (Plateau United), Ahmad Ghali (MFM), Adesina Gata (Wikki Tourists).
