The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Flying Eagles

  • Flying Eagles thrash Qatar 4-0

    Nigeria began their quest for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup title with a resounding 4-0 victory over Qatar at the Mjieski Stadium, Tychy yesterday.

    Paul Aigbogun sent out presumably his strongest line-up for the tricky clash, with Muhammad Tijani and Henry Offia leading the lines though Bournemouth’s starlet, Nnamdi Oforboh was only good for a bench role.

    Maxwell Effiom, one of the most influential players during the team’s last tournament in Niger gave his side the lead twelve minutes in when he tapped home after Qatari goalkeeper, Shehab Mamdouh could only parry skipper Ikouwem Utin’s delivery into his path.

    The Flying Eagles remained on the ascendancy and double their tally before the half hour, Utin the provider yet again after he held off his marker to play in Henry Offia who finished with aplomb.

    Manchester City starlet, Tom Dele-Bashiru added a third after the break, slotting home a brilliant effort to cap off a scintillating showing in the middle of the park for his side.

    And defender Aliyu Salawudeen rounded off the scoring in the 74th minute when he stabbed in the fourth from substitute Akor’s header to compound the woes of their opponent.

  • FIFA U20 World Cup: Flying Eagles land in Poland

    Nigeria’s U-20 boys, Flying Eagles have landed in Poland for this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup after rounding off a three-week residential training at Bad Gogging on the outskirts of Munich, Germany on Saturday.

    The team flew out of Germany via Munich on Sunday morning for the final leg of preparation for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup that begins on 23rd May.

    While in Bad Grogging, the team played four friendly games (a 3-3 draw with Freiburg U-19s; a 1-2 loss to Saudi Arabia U-20s; a 3-1 win over AFR Aelen and; a 1-1 draw with Red Bull Salzburg) as they seek to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time.

    Two-time runners at the competition, in 1989 and 2005, Nigeria took the bronze medal at the 1985 finals staged in the former Soviet Union.

    Team captain Ikouwem Udoh Utin told thenff.com that the camping exercise in Germany has helped the team blend very well.

    “Our time in Germany has really helped us to come together as a group, blend with one another as well as learn new things from our coaches,” Utin enthused.

    “It has been a wonderful experience here in camp. The boys now understand one another better and we have perfected our plans as we go into the tournament. We want to make Nigeria proud in Poland and we will do our best not to disappoint Nigerians. Our aim is to go all out and win the trophy for Nigeria. We also want to thank the NFF and Nigerians for their support and we will go there and represent Nigeria well.”

    IK Sirius of Sweden striker, Henry Offia is also optimistic that the team will go far in Poland 2019 and the lessons learned in camp will go a long way to help actualise this aim.

    “I’m really happy and grateful to be part of this team. This is my first time with any of the national teams and I’ll do my best not to disappoint,” Offia stated.

  • Offia Henry: Flying Eagles ready for World Cup

    Sirius’s 19-year-old striker Henry Offia said Coach Paul Aigbogun’s team is ready to make a big statement when the U-20 World Cup kicks off in Poland next week.

    The Swedish based star also promised to paint Poland with goals following his two goals for the Flying Eagles team against Saudi Arabia and VFR Aalen in buildup matches ahead of the U-20 World cup, which will take place in Poland between May 23 and June 15.

    A product of the Dynamo Football Academy in Lagos, the elegant striker instantly caught the eye of IK Sirius of Sweden in an exhibition match in Lagos

    Everyone talks about Success Makanjuola and Emeke Chinonso, but this Flying Eagles team also has a talented striker with much sense of responsibility of scoring goals.

    In Sweden, Henry is regarded as one of the most exciting striking prospects of recent times and has a style reminiscent to that of Eden Harzard.

    Speaking on his chances of making the Flying Eagles final list to Poland, the Anambra hailed striker said it was the best luck of his career to be part of the final team and ready to deliver goals.

    “Everybody in the team merited it because we all give our best in trainings and friendlies and it was easy for the coach to decide on to make the list, but the bottom line is that we are choosing to represent Nigeria and write our names in the book of history, and God willing, we are ready to face the world in Poland,” said Henry who has scored two goals for Flying Eagles.

    The power-playing striker said his two goals are not fluke and he will be ready to score more goals for the team and whenever he’s given the chance in Poland.

    “I came to the team to score goals, the coaches have motivated me just like every other players, I am ready to take upon myself the big responsibility I have taking by scoring goals and be part of success.

    “I work harder to score the two goals and I am working hard to score many goals when the tournament resumes,” he stressed.

    The giant striker has advised his team to be of good behavior and remain focus in every game.

    “We need to demonstrate good attitude and be disciplined against our opponents and never underrate any smaller team, by doing that I can we are good to go.

    “We have big responsibility of making our country proud, Nigeria has good pedigree at this level and we hope to break barriers, the coaches have told us we are good to make the country proud and we are ready.

    Nigeria meets Qatar, Ukraine and the US in the group stage on May 24, 27 and May 30 before possible playoffs takes place.

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  • Flying Eagles lose 2-1 to Saudi Araba in friendly game

    The Flying Eagles on Sunday evening lost to Saudi Arabia ahead of their trip to Poland for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

     The international friendly staged at the Sportschule Lindabrun ended goalless in the first half.

    But the Saudi Arabians were on the front foot and were unlucky not to take the lead.

    Ten minutes into the second half, Al Qadisiyah FC striker Khalid Al-Ghannam earned Saudi Arabia the lead but Swedish-based midfielder Henry Offia restored parity for the Flying Eagles nine minutes later.

    Hamed Alghamdi scored what proved to be the winning goal with 12 minutes left on the clock.

    Nigeria have lined up three more friendlies against TSG Hoffenheim (May 7/8), Red Bull Salzburg (May 14) and Red Bull Leipzig (May 17).

    The Paul Aigbogun-led side are in Group D of the FIFA U20 World Cup, with their first match against Qatar on May 24, United States on May 27 and Ukraine on May 30.

    Players and officials of the Flying Eagles will spend the night in Vienna and will return to their hotel in Bad Gögging, Germany on Monday.

  • Poland 2019: Flying Eagles tackle Saudi Arabia in Vienna

    Nigerian and Saudi Arabian U-20 squads will be at each other’s jugular in Vienna, Austria on Sunday night as both teams continue to perfect their preparations for this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Poland.

    Both teams were scheduled to clash in a friendly in Jeddah earlier in the year but unforeseen events led to the cancellation.

    That meeting was meant to prepare seven-time African champions Nigeria for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations finals in Niger Republic in February.

    With both teams having qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, Sunday’s encounter has even higher relevance, only weeks before the World Cup opens in Poland.

    The match will take place at the Sportschule Lindabrunn in Vienna, capital of Austria, according to Team Administrator, Aliyu Ibrahim Lawal.

    While the Flying Eagles will confront Qatar, USA and Ukraine in Group D at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals, Saudi Arabia will sort things out with Panama, Mali and France in Group E.

    In Saudi Arabia, Nigeria will be looking to have an idea of how Qatar set up and do the business on the field, while in playing Nigeria, the Saudis hope to gain knowledge of what to expect from Mali in Poland.

    The Nigerian U-20 boys, the Flying Eagles got a surprise visitor at their Germany camp on Thursday when former Super Eagles’ striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni paid a visit to the team.

    Aiyegbeni, who played for Nigeria at the 2000 Olympics in Australia, said he decided to visit the team to motivate the players ahead of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Poland.

    The former Everton and Portsmouth striker was also happy to reunite with his former teammate Wilson Oruma who is the Welfare Officer of the team.

    “I have played in the youth sides for Nigeria and I know what it means to these young lads (the Flying Eagles) to represent their country, ” the former striker said. “It was a pleasure to come here and speak with the boys and also encourage them to go all out and do the country proud.

    “I am happy with what I’ve seen in training and I urge them not to rest on their oars. They have the quality to do the country proud.”

    Aiyegbeni also commended the technical crew for the blend of home-based and overseas-based players in the squad. The former Portsmouth striker opined that the blend will do Nigeria some good as he also expressed happiness in meeting his former Super Eagles’ teammate Wilson Oruma.

    “The blend is good and I hope the boys will bond well before the tournament begins. The technical crew has done well with what I’ve seen and I believe Nigeria will go far in the competition. I urge them to win the Cup to celebrate President Buhari’s victory in the last elections. I am also very happy to meet Wilson Oruma. He’s my former teammate and brother and it is nice seeing him today. I wish the team all the best in Poland and hope they win the trophy for the first time,”  Aiyegbeni added.

  • Flying Eagles to hit Germany today

    Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Flying Eagles will today depart for Germany for the final part of their preparations for the FIFA U-20 World Cup slated for Poland from May 23 to June 15.

    The Nigeria U-20 team placed fourth at the Under-20 Cup of Nations in Niger Republic which served as the qualifiers for the World Cup behind Senegal, Mali and South Africa.

    Head coach of the Under-20 team, Paul Aigbogun is expected to have named the players that are embarking on the journey with him yesterday and they are to play series of tune up games in Germany after the initial bonding with the foreign-based players who are to join the team later.

    A source close to the team told NationSport that the team will leave for Germany today and that the head coach, Paul Aigbogun is doing his best along with his assistants to ensure that the best are picked for the country ahead of the World Cup.

    The Under-20 team are in Group D along with Qatar, Ukraine and the United States and will face Qatar first on May 24 before the games with the United States and Ukraine on May 27 and 30.

    Read also: U20 AFCON: Flying Eagles lose to Mali in Semifinals

    The Flying Eagles have been beaten in the final of the U-20 World Cup on two occasions in 1989 and 2005 by Portugal and Argentina respectively.

    Soenderjysk U-19 star, Nazifi Yahaya has tipped the Flying Eagles to top the Group D at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.

    Yahaya has scored four goals in his team’s opening two matches and the striker, who was a member of the Under-20 team to the Under-20 AFCON in Niger Republic, said that he is confident that the Flying Eagles won’t disappoint Nigerians in Poland in May.

    “I am tipping the Flying Eagles to top Group D ahead of USA, Ukraine and Qatar because we have the team that can excel,” Yahaya said.

    “I am not underrating our opponents but with what I have seen in the camp of the Flying Eagles I know that we have the players and the mental strength to beat all our three first round foes and take it up from there in the second round.

    “I am grateful to God for my form for my new club and I hope to continue to do my best in the remaining matches of the season. I hope I maintain this form until the end of the season,”he said.

  • Poland 2019: Flying Eagles get $3,000 qualification bonus

     

    The Nation’s U-20 team the flying Eagles just back from Niger after participating in this year’s AFCON U-20 Nations cup have received qualification bonus of $3,000 (about N1.08million) each  for picking one of the tickets to the World cup in Poland.

    The Paul Aigbogun tutored side made it to the semifinals of the championship alongside Mali, South Africa and Senegal but failed to make it to the final after losing 2-1 to Mali.

    Sportinglife.ng gathered that the bonus was given to the boys just before Mali Match.  The team then went ahead to again lose the third place match 1-0 to South Africa thus finishing 4th in the classification of the four countries that will be flying the continent’s flag at the World cup in Poland.

    We further gathered that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials who paid out the largesse told the players point blank not to expect anything as addition to what they have been paid.

    Reactions have continued to trail the performance of the team at the just ended Under 20 AFCON in Niger, with many submitting that the team will need a lot of tinkering if it is to make any impact in Poland.

    Nigeria has won the championship a record seven times and some had tipped Aigbogun and his technical crew to increase the tally, a dream which crumbled like a pack of cards  

    Nigeria has been drawn against USA, Qatar and Ukraine while African Champions Mali will test strength against Panama, France and Saudi Arabia.   The 22nd edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup will kick off on 23 May 2019.

    The Flying Eagles will begin their campaign against Qatar on May 24 in Tychy, before clashing with the USA three days later in Bielsko-Biala and then face Ukraine in the last group game on May 30.

    Nigeria’s best performance at this category at the world cup was at the 1999 and 2007 and 2011 editions in Nigeria, Canada and Columbia respectively where she finished in the quarterfinals.

     

     

     

     

  • U20 AFCON: Flying Eagles lose to Mali in Semifinals

     

    Flying Eagles of Nigeria Wednesday in Niamey failed to make it to the finals of the 2019 Under 20 AFCON, losing on penalty 4-3 to Eagles of Mali in the semifinals.

    The Paul Aigbogun tutored side had ample chances of sealing the game within regulation time but failed to convert.

    Their Malian counterparts were not even better coupled with the fact that the pitch was bumpy and unfriendly.

    The match had ended 1-1 at regulation time and also at the end of extra time thus leading to penalty shoots out.  While the Flying Eagles were only able to convert three of their kicks in the battle of Eagles, the Eagles of mail converted four of theirs to zoom into Sunday’s final.

    The defeat put an end to Nigeria’s desire to clinch the title for the 8th time after winning a record seven times in the past.

    Aigbogun and his boys will now look forward to the third place match on Saturday.  Interestingly the team has already picked one of the tickets to the world cup in Poland, as the four semifinalists will all flag Africa’s flag at the world cup

  • Poland 2019: Flying Eagles to know opponents February 24th

     

    *Fans to pay between N1,000 to N3,800

    *We are ready for Nigeria others declares host nation

    Flying Eagles of Nigeria will know their group opponents at this year FIFA under 20 World cup holding in Poland on February 24th.

    World soccer ruling body FIFA made this known on Tuesday even as organisers revealed that tickets sales for the championship will open on February 26th.

    The announcement also marks exactly 100 days to the kickoff of the championship in which four African countries  Nigeria,Mali,  Senegal and  South Africa have already been listed among qualified countries.

    Organisers further revealed that fans will be paying a considerably reasonable fee ranging from N1, 000 to N2, 850 for category one ticket and N1, 900 to N3, 800 for cagtegory two tickets. The Championship will hold in six Polish cities of   Bielsko-Biala, Bydgoszcz, Gdynia, Lodz, Lublin and Tychy

    Records show that Since its inception in 1977, the FIFA U-20 World Cup has attracted more than 13 million fans from around the globe to its Venues.

    “Tickets for the first-ever FIFA competition to be hosted on Polish soil will be available on 26 February in two categories and start at PLN 10. The only official platform on which to secure these tickets will be FIFA.com/tickets/U20WC” the information said

    FIFA Deputy Secretary General Zvonimir Boban highlighted the importance of the tournament when he added

    “I was blessed to be able to play in both the opening match and final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 1987 in a full stadium.

    That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that really shaped my career. Poland is a country with a big football tradition and Polish fans will provide the appropriate setting for an exciting competition. Celebrating this tournament in Poland in the year of the Polish FA’s centenary and with a legend like Zbigniew Boniek as the Polish FA President is definitely something very special,”

    The decision to have minimal ticket fee is not unconnected with an attempt to ginger massive attendance as revealed by president of Polish football Association Zbigniew Boniek

    We want the stands of our stadiums to be filled with fans. Attractive ticket prices will surely contribute to a high attendance. In less than two weeks, we will be hosting the official draw ceremony in Gdynia, and ticket sales is due to

    kick off soon afterwards. We encourage all fans to mark the dates of the tournament in their calendars and before that, of course, go ahead and buy tickets. You simply cannot miss such an event in Poland,” he enthused

  • Poland 2019: South Africa delays Flying Eagles qualification

     

    Flying Eagles Tuesday failed in their bid to earn back to back victory at the ongoing African under 20 Nations cup in Niger and grab one of the four tickets to the FIFA under 20 world cup in Poland.

    The Paul Aigbogun tutored side that made an impressive start beating Burundi 2-0 in the opener, were held to a goalless draw by Amajita of South Africa.

    The South Africans who played a 1-1 draw against hosts Niger in the opener had put up spirited effort with intent to improving their chances but the flying Eagles held their ground but unfortunately failed to convert a few begging chances they created.

    Nigeria however still remain group leaders with 4 points in two matches but will have to wait till the last group match against Niger on Friday to seal qualification.

    All the four semifinalists will claim the four African slots for the World cup in Poland.