Flying Eagles prepare for WAFU B Championship
The Nigeria U20 team, known as the Flying Eagles, has arrived in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, to participate in this year’s WAFU B U20 Championship. The team travelled to Abidjan before continuing by road to Yamoussoukro, where they are lodged at the Trio Corridor Hotel. The Flying Eagles enter the competition as defending champions, having previously defeated Ghana in the final of the last edition held in Lome with a 2-1 victory.
The squad, led by coach Abdu Maikaba, includes 23 players. Among them is Ebrima Manneh, a midfielder from Sporting Supreme Academy, whose eligibility has recently been clarified. The team is focused on defending their title in the tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for the U20 AFCON.
Ebrima Manneh’s eligibility confirmed
Recent discussions surrounding the eligibility of Flying Eagles midfielder Ebrima Manneh have been addressed. Despite having Gambian roots, Manneh is confirmed to be a Nigerian citizen. Reports indicate that his father is Gambian, while his mother is from Adamawa, Nigeria. Manneh has committed his international future to Nigeria.
According to a source familiar with the player, Manneh has resided in Nigeria for a significant period, having arrived with his uncle before joining Sporting Supreme. He has been playing in Nigeria since approximately the age of 14, featuring for HB Academy and Sporting Supreme. The source also noted that Manneh has never received an invitation from Gambia and has not expressed interest in representing them, instead wishing to play for his mother’s country, Nigeria.
Under FIFA regulations, a player is eligible to represent a nation if they have parents from that country and hold citizenship there. Given that Manneh’s mother is Nigerian, he is cleared to play for the Flying Eagles.
Squad members and upcoming fixtures
The 23-player squad for the WAFU B U20 Championship features several talents. Among the players called up by coach Abdu Maikaba are:
- Lawani Clinton (Sporting Lagos)
- Olayemi Ayinla (Warri Wolves)
- Wahab Musa (FC Malaga)
- Timilehin Agbonjimi (FC Ablaze)
- Odinaka Alfred (Aseami Academy)
- Somto Nnoli (Akwa United)
- Samson Joshua (Galadima FC)
- Ebrima Manneh (Sporting Supreme)
- Abdoulaye Agbeloye (Grassrunner FC)
- Habila Simeon (Golden Boot Soccer Academy)
- Imrana Muhammad (Deportivo Alaves)
- Saifullahi Yusuf (Wikki Tourists)
- Israel Samuel (Abia Warriors)
- Sani Shuaibu (Wikki Tourists)
- Oraro Lucky (Warri Wolves)
- Rufai Abubakar (NK Istra 1961)
- Auwal Muhammad (Bichi First)
- Jamilu Yusuf (Junior Danburan)
- Adamu Hussaini (Barau FC)
- Abdulmuiz Adeleke (Sporting Supreme)
- Abdullahi Ele (JMD FC)
- Gift Subi (P Sport Academy)
- Aminu Yusuf (Kano Pillars)
Habila Simeon, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder from Golden Boot Soccer Academy, has been named captain of the Nigeria U20 team for the tournament. He will turn 18 in September and has already attracted attention from European clubs.
The Flying Eagles are set to begin their WAFU B U-20 Championship campaign against Ghana’s Black Satellites on Monday at the Lycée Scientifique. This match is a repeat of the previous tournament’s final. Following this, they will face Togo on Thursday next week, before concluding their group stage fixtures against Burkina Faso’s Young Stallions on Sunday, 2nd August.
Source: soccernet.ng
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