The Confederation of African Football has confirmed the qualification of Nigeria for the 2015 African Youth Championship in Senegal. On…
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The U-20 boys host their counterparts from Lesotho in a 2015 African Youth Championship qualifying series final round, first leg encounter at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday, while the girls lock horns with New Zealand in the quarter finals of the 7th FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Canada
Kebe, 28, and who became an international referee only last year, will be assisted by compatriots Nouha Bangoura (1st Assistant), El Hadji Abdoul Aziz Gueye (2nd Assistant) and Daouda Gueye (4th Official), at the match that the Nigeria Football Federation has already confirmed for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on August 16
The Flying Eagles will now host Lesotho on August 16, while the return leg will hold a fortnight later.
The overall winners will advance to the 2015 AYC to be hosted by Senegal in March
However, Ngorongoro of Tanzania Coach, John Simkoko, insisted they have not given up hope and said they would battle harder in the return match in Nigeria in a fortnight
The Flying Eagles are billed to take on their Benin Republic counterparts in Porto Novo on May 4
Dabo Babes, however, stood up to the Nigerian under-20s for long, and it was not until first half stoppage time that substitute Ibrahim opened scoring with a simple tap-in.
Reports had it that the Flying Eagles started brightly with Alhassan Ibrahim firing at the Junior Atlas Lions’ goal after just four minutes
Audu said that all the foreign-based call-ups except for Isaac Success and Dele Alampasu had joined the team in Abuja
Reports had it that the Flying Eagles dominated the first half even though the hosts settled more quickly into the game than the Nigerian side
The goalkeeper, whose trials with Belgian Jupiler League side, Genk, is currently on hold due to a slight knock, told The Eagle Online on phone that the club’s medics have advised that he takes some rests as he is hoping to visit the U-20 camp in Abuja.
Alampasu said: “I have started with some aerobics here in Belgium and route to recovery is just close by
They are goalkeepers: Adamu Abubakar, Abdulazeez Abubakar and Emeka Nwabulu, while the defenders are Aliyu Abubakar, Wilfred Ndidi, Prince Izu Omego, Ifeanyi weke, Mustapha Abdullahi and Zaharaddeen Bello
First-half braces from Taiwo Awoniyi, Alhassan Ibrahim and Ifeanyi Matthews, coupled with a further goal from Bernard Bulbwa gave Manu Garba’s side a 7-0 lead at the interval
Iheanacho is reported to be with Manchester City FC of England, while Success recently joined Granada CF in Spain
The second phase of the Nigeria U20 team’s training camp will commence in Abuja on Monday, when the 35 players from the open trials are joined by 20 other players who were involved with the country’s U17 team last year
Nigeria will clash with the winner of the preliminary fixture between Kenya and Tanzania in the second round of the qualifying series for the African Youth Championship in May, with the first leg away
Garba, who led the Golden Eaglets to clinch the FIFA U-17 in UAE last year, would now wait for confirmation by the NFF Executive Committee
Should the Nigeria U20 team qualify for the third and final round, they will then face the winners of the second round between Angola and the winners of the first round clash involving Swaziland and Lesotho
Garba, who won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup on two occasions as head coach and assistant coach to late Yemi Tella, stated that the Under 20 job will serve as an avenue to hunt for more talents and also to infuse those that fell on the way side in their quest to conquer the world
After a cross from Shehu found Umar at the far side of the box, but his well-controlled, side-footed volley was straight at the keeper