The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AYC

  • AYC: Yahaya, Eze confirm arrival dates

    AYC: Yahaya, Eze confirm arrival dates

    Tottenham Hotspur youth team forward, Musa Yahaya and Chidera Eze, who features for the youth team of FC Porto, have confirmed their arrival dates to the Flying Eagles training camp.

    According to Flying Eagles team secretary, Auwal Aliyu Ibrahim, Yahaya will join the team on January 16 after he would have finished playing in an invitational tournament involving Tottenham youth team in Malaysia.

    Eze, on the other hand, will join the team’s Kaduna training camp on January 15, africanFootball.com reports.

    Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, has given a January 15 deadline for all invited foreign-based professionals to join the squad.

    Aliyu Ibrahim further disclosed he expects to get confirmation on the arrival of Manchester City pair of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali as well as Slovakia-based Moses Simon and Kingsley Madu later this week.

    The team is expected to feature in an expanded Super 4 tournament that will include the Olympic team, league champions Kano Pillars as well as Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins.

    The Super 4 is expected to begin on January 22 in Abuja.

  • U-20 foreign- based players get January 15 deadline

    U-20 foreign- based players get January 15 deadline

    Foreign based players invited by Flying Eagles handlers for preparation towards next year’s African Youth Championship have been given a January 15 deadline to report to camp.

    “All the invitations have been sent out to the foreign based players we need for the AYC and we have given them a deadline of January 15 to join us in Kaduna,” Flying Eagles secretary, Auwal Aliyu Ibrahim, told africanFootball.com.

    “So far we have received assurances from their various clubs that they will be available for the tournament in Senegal.”

    The invited foreign based players are – Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali, Isaac Success, Chidera Eze, Musa Muhammed, Kingsley Madu, Moses Simon, Taiwo Awoniyi and Musa Yahaya.

    The Flying Eagles training camp in Kaduna will reopen on Saturday after a week’s break for the Christmas holidays.

     

  • F/Eagles coach invites 30 players for AYC

    F/Eagles coach invites 30 players for AYC

    The Flying Eagles technical crew has called up nine foreign-based professionals and 21 other players based locally for a training camp in Kaduna from Saturday.

    This followed a screening exercise earlier this month also in Kaduna, sl10.ng reports.

    The foreign based players include Granada CF striker Isaac Success, Taiwo Awoniyi from Kalmar of Sweden as well as Manchester City pair of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali.

    The team has been drawn in a tough Group A of the 2015 African Youth Championship along with hosts Senegal, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire.

    Nigeria opens its AYC campaign on March 8 against Senegal in Dakar.

    The six-time African champions will then battle Congo On March 11, before playing Cote d’Ivoire on March 14 in M’bour, which is 80 kilometres south of Dakar.

    The full squad:

    Goalkeepers: Joshua Enaholo, Dele Alampasu, Olorunleke Ojo, Adamu Abubakar

    Defenders: Kingsley Madu, Musa Muhammed, Mustapha Abdullahi, Wilfred Ndidi, Zaharadeen Bello, Prince Izu Omego

    Midfielders: Ifeanyi Matthew, Akinjide Idowu, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Obinna Nwobodo, Kingsley Sokari, Abdullahi Alfa, Chidiebere Nwakali

    Forwards: Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Kelechi Iheanacho, Usman Hassan, Alhassan Ibrahim, Sulaiman Abdullahi, Abubakar Lawal, Bernard Bulbwa, Chidera Eze, Billy Auta, Musa Yahaya, Moses Simon, Wasiu Jimoh.

     

  • Ebola: Lesotho withdraws from AYC qualifier with Nigeria

    Ebola: Lesotho withdraws from AYC qualifier with Nigeria

    Lesotho has pulled out of this weekend’s final 2015 African Youth Championship against Nigeria after the country’s soccer federation expressed concerns over the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the country.

    “We have contacted the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and copied the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that we will not be coming for this game,” Lesotho Football Federation official, Limtho Mokhethi, told africanFootball.com on Friday.

    The Senegalese officials appointed for the game have already arrived Kaduna, where the match will be played.

    CAF will now to decide on the overall winners of this final qualifier.

    The 2015 AYC will be staged by Senegal from March 8, 2015.

  • 2015 AYC qualifier: Iheanacho, Success to miss Lesotho tie

    2015 AYC qualifier: Iheanacho, Success to miss Lesotho tie

    Manchester City starlet Kelechi Iheanacho and Spain-based striker Isaac Success will miss Nigeria’s 2015 AYC qualifier against Lesotho.

    Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba further disclosed that Chidera Eze from FC Porto, Musa Yahaya of Tottenham Hotspurs as well as Dele Alampasu, who is training with Genk in Belgium, will equally not be available for the August 16 match in Kaduna.

    “Kelechi (Iheanacho) was to have been released by Manchester City at least a week before the match, but the club’s recruitment officer has called us back to say they have plans for him and so he will no longer be available,” Manu told AfricanFootball.com.

    “Isaac Success will also not be released by Granada as he has begun playing for the first team.

    “Tottenham Hotspur have said they will only release Musa Yahaya for the return leg match.

    “But we can cope because we have an abundance of talent.

    “For example, take the case of Wasiu Jimoh, who just scored four goals in a test game (against Amakson on Thursday). He has been on the fringes of the first team and took his chance with four well-taken goals.

    “And so we have the players to get the result we need in the game against Lesotho.”

  • AYC: Iheanacho, others to miss Lesotho clash

    AYC: Iheanacho, others to miss Lesotho clash

    Manchester City starlet, Kelechi Iheanacho and Spain-based striker Isaac Success will miss Nigeria’s 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier against Lesotho.

    Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba disclosed that Chidera Eze from FC Porto, Musa Yahaya of Tottenham Hotspurs as well as Dele Alampasu, who is training with Genk in Belgium, will equally not be available for the August 16 match in Kaduna.

    “Kelechi (Iheanacho) was to have been released by Manchester City at least a week before the match, but the club’s recruitment officer has called back to tell us about their plans for him and so he will no longer be available,” Manu told africanFootball.com

    “Isaac Success will also not be released by Granada as he has begun playing for the first team.

    “Tottenham Hotspur will only release Musa Yahaya for the return leg match.

    “But we can cope because we have abundant talent in the team.

    “For example, take the case of Wasiu Taiwo, who just scored four goals in a test game (against Amakson on Thursday). He has been on the fringes of the first team and took his chance with four well-taken goals.

    “And so we have the players to get the result we need in the game against Lesotho.”

  • Iheanacho out of starting XI for Tanzania tie

    Iheanacho out of starting XI for Tanzania tie

    The best player at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Kelechi Iheanacho, will start from the bench in Nigeria’s Africa Youth Championship tie against Tanzania on Sunday.

    Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, picked the same side that lost 0-1 to Benin Republic in the team’s last warm up game in Cotonou on May 7, supersport.com reports.

    This means there is no place in the starting lineup for the Manchester City duo of Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali who will start from the bench just as they did in Cotonou.

    Manu had toyed with the idea of starting both players, but opted for a more cautious approach as his team is playing away from home.

    His 4-4-2 formation will see Wilfred Ndidi partner Izu Omego in the heart of the back four, while Akinjide Idowu will be the ball winner for a talented midfield that boasts of  Musa Yahaya and playmaker Ifeanyi Matthew.

    Alhassan Ibrahim “Mu-azam” and Taiwo Awoniyi will lead the Flying Eagles charge for goals.

    Meanwhile, the coach of the Tanzania’s U-20 team, John Simkoko, said his team hopes to defeat Nigeria on Sunday.

  • Iheanacho, Success for AYC qualifier

    Iheanacho, Success for AYC qualifier

    The Flying Eagles on Wednesday in Abuja named former Golden Eaglets’ stars Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success in a 35-man provisional squad being expected to reconvene on Sunday.

    A statement signed by the team’s Media Officer, Samm Audu, said the squad would be opening camp ahead of their upcoming 2015 African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifier.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Iheanacho is reported to be with Manchester City FC of England, while Success recently joined Granada CF in Spain.

    Several other overseas-based players, including Musa Muhammed of Besiktas in Turkey, Chidiebere Nwakali of Manchester City and Chidera Eze of FC Porto in Portugal were also picked.

    Also in the squad, which is made up of the bulk of the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup-winning team, is Musa Yahaya of Celta Vigo in Spain.

    The squad being handled by former Golden Eaglets’ coach Manu Garba also has goalkeeper Sunday Alampasu, who is undergoing trials in Belgium.

    The full squad has goalkeepers Alampasu, Adamu Abubakar, Abdulazeez Abubakar and Zaharadden Mohammed, as well as defenders Samuel Okon, Aliyu Abubakar, Wilfred Ndidi, Izu Omego, Timothy Danladi and Ifeanyi Nweke.

    The list also includes; defenders are Mazadu Sirajo, Mustapha Abdullahi, Musa Muhammed, Zaharaddeen Bello, with Abdullahi Alfa, Akinjide Idowu, Ifeanyi Matthew, Mathias Samuel, Fedelix Irene, Uche Okeke and Nwakali as midfielders.

    Strikers in the squad include Taiwo Awoniyi, Alhassan Ibrahim, Bernard Bulbwa,Suleiman Abdullahi, Billy Auta, Abubakar Lawal, Wasiu Jimoh and Anthony Omaka.

    Others are: Umar Ahmed, Iheanacho, Success, Yahaya, Eze and Victory Omodiagbe.

     

  • FLYING EAGLES PICK 35 FROM OPEN TRIALS

    FLYING EAGLES PICK 35 FROM OPEN TRIALS

    THE Flying Eagles have picked 35 players after an intensive two-week open screening in Abuja, which attracted over 1,500 hopefuls.

    The second phase of the Nigeria Under 20 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 Under 17 team last year.

    “We expect a much fiercer competition in the second phase and players need to be more consistent to survive then,” said Flying Eagles’ coach Manu Garba.

    Manu plans to soon form a standing team in time for the Flying Eagles’ African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifying match against either Kenya or Tanzania in early May.

    THE SELECTED 35

    Goalkeepers: Joshua Enaholo, Adamu Abubakar, Amos Benjamin, Zaradeen Usman

    Defenders: Babatunde Ade, Baba Garba Ghaddafi, Mazadu Surajo Abdullahi, Julius Emalaju, Chukwuma Okpara, Timothy Danladi, Ifeanyi Nweke, Bashir Mansur

    Midfielders: Anthony Chukwudi Omaka, Fidelis Irene, Samuel Mathias, Uche Okeke, Aremu Abdulhafeez, Raphael Ayagwa, Alashe Sherif Ajibola, Shabanya Jonathan, Uche Chibueze, Bankole Segun, Salman Ibrahim, Jimoh Wasiu

    Strikers: Suleiman Abdullahi, Abubakar Lawal, Billy Auta, Mahmoud Mohammed, Orji Promise, Aliyu Sani Jandi, Victory Omadigbe, Eze Chisom, Yakubu Mohammed, Peter Araodion, Isaac Uduak.

  • Jonathan hosts F/Eagles, Eaglets Tuesday

    Jonathan hosts F/Eagles, Eaglets Tuesday

    President Goodluck Jonathan will on Tuesday host the country’s U-17 and U-20 teams, officials told MTNFootball.com.

    The Golden Eaglets lost in the final of the African U-17 Championship in Morocco, while the Flying Eagles placed third at the African Youth Championship in Algeria.

    The Eaglets lost on penalties to Cote d’Ivoire after final scores stood at 1-1 in the championship final in Marrakech.

    The U-20s defeated Mali 2-1 in a third-placed match to avenge a 1-0 loss to their West African rivals.

    Both teams have qualified for their respective World Cups and Nigeria can boast of a special record of having medals in Africa at full international, U-20 and U-17 levels in one calendar year.

    Top government and sports ministry officials have been locked in talks over the presidential reception.

    A top official informed MTNFootball.com: “The President will receive the teams on Tuesday at Aso Rock.

    “All arrangements in this regard have been finalised.”

    However, the Flying Eagles would be honoured in absentia as the team is currently in Germany on a training tour ahead of the U-20 World Cup in Turkey next month.

    Interestingly Nigeria won the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa.

    President Jonathan rewarded the Super Eagles with national honours, cash and plots of land when the team won a third Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in February.