As part of their preparation for the upcoming WAFU Cup championship, Thomas Adewumi Academy will be taking on Nigeria’s Under 17 national team, the Golden Eaglets in a friendly match on Thursday in Abuja

The match is billed for 2pm at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch, Package B of National Stadium, Abuja.

Head Coach of TAICO Hameed Olalekan said his side would give the Nduka Ugbade led boys a good match that will prepare them well for the main tournament.

The Golden Eaglets have been paired in Group A along side Ghana and Togo for the WAFU B Cup tourney that will take place in Cape Coast, Ghana.

WAFU Zone B U20 Championship winning goalkeeper, Nathaniel Nwosu described former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech as his boyhood hero.

The young shot-stoper made this disclosure after guilding the Ladan Bosso’s tutored side to a 3-1 victory over young Squirrels of Benin Republic in the final of the WAFU U20 Championship played in Niamey on Friday.

An elated Nwosu said after game : ” Happy birthday Petr Cech, I’m happy you are adding another year on a day I’m winning a trophy.

“You have been my role model since aged five and I’m dedicating this trophy to you . Happy birthday my hero”

Nwosu has been likened to the former Chelsea and Rennes goalkeeper by the fans, due to his calmness and leadership qualities between the sticks.

Nathaniel Nwosu who is currently one of the best young goalkeepers in Nigeria can emulate the former Czech Republic international who spent 11 years in west London between 2004-2015, before joining London rivals Arsenal.

Seven –time African champions Nigeria have high expectations as they head to Niamey, capital of Niger Republic for this year’s WAFU B U20 Championship taking place in that country, 7^th – 20^th May. Nigeria’s contingent will fly into Niamey on Thursday and the Nigeria Football Federation has arranged two friendly matches in Niamey to put the team in premium shape and readiness for the competition proper.

Head Coach Ladan Bosso has selected a team of 28 players who will compete against Ghana’s Black Satellites and the Young Etalons of Burkina Faso in Group B. Hosts Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire will battle in Group A.

The Flying Eagles will confront familiar foes Ghana in their first match of the competition on Sunday, 8^th May, before they take on Burkina Faso three days later. Both matches hold at the General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey.

Two teams will sail into the semi finals from each group, with the two finalists qualifying to represent the WAFU B zone at the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

Egypt will host the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations while Indonesia will host the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup finals. All four semi finalists from the tournament in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa in Indonesia.

FLYING EAGLES FOR WAFU B CHAMPIONSHIP:

Goalkeepers: Nathaniel Nwosu (Water FC); Chijioke Aniagboso (Giant Brillars); Saheed Jimoh (Adoration FC)

Defenders: Opeyemi Omooloyi (Akure City); Abubakar Babaji (Niger Tornadoes); Lekan Oyedele (Remo Stars); Oluwatosin Adegbite (Enyimba FC); Augustine Njoku (Abia Warriors); Chikezie Okolie (Giant Brillars); David Sholumade (Akwa United); Benjamin Frederick (ABS FC)

Midfielders: Anas Hassan (Vandrezzer FC); Daniel Daga (FC One Rocket); Oluwaseyi Falodun (Jossy United); Samson Lawal (Katsina United); Onuche Ogbelu (Fosla Academy); Muhammad Aminu (Gombe United); Muhammad Shehu (Katsina United); Frederick Godwin (City FC)

Forwards: Adams Olubi (FK Zalgris Vilnius, Lithuania); Tolulope Ojo (Remo Stars); Ibrahim Muhammad (Maikunkele FC); Ibrahim Yahaya (Gombe United); Rilwanu Haliru Sarki (Mahanaim FC); Divine Nwachukwu (Adoration FC); Ahmed Abdullahi (HB Academy); Abdullahi Adam (Nasarawa United); Albert Hilary (Plateau United)

The final squad has three goalkeepers, six defenders, nine midfielders and six attackers.

Amoo will rely on qualities possessed by some of his players, notably among them is goalkeeper Saheed Jimoh, Victor Udoh and a product of Kamar Football Academy in Idah, Mustapha Benjamin.

The tournament kicks off on January 5 in Lome, Togo.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are drawn against Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in Group B.

The finalists of the qualifying with advance to the U17 AFCON in Morocco in July.

The full squad:

Goalkeepers: Saheed Jimoh, Destiny Emuwahen, Abdulbasit Abbas

Defenders: Abdullahi Bewene, Victor Udoh, Emmanuel Chukwu, Joseph Kuteyi, Vince Osuji, Emmanuel John, Oludapo Akintola

Midfielders: Oluwatomiwa Kolawole, Chukwuemeka Egbu, Samuel Akere, Haruna Hassan, Rabiu Ahmed, Gideon Atoyebi, Benjamin Mustapha, Basheet Hamzat, Samson Ogunmola

Forwards: Joseph Arumala, Christian Nwachukwu, Peter Asuquo, Michael Emmanuel, Stanley Iheanacho, Ahmed Abdullahi

STANDBY: Philip Titiloye, Muhammed Usman, Waris Hundeyin, Joel david, Boluwatife Babarinde

Bunmi Huruna stated this after his Abuja based club side Dante Academy, became the first team to score two goals against this present Eaglets, as both teams played out an entertaining 4-2 score in a friendly match played on Friday evening at the FIFA goal project, Abuja.

Coach Bunmi, coach Bunmi dispelled fears that the Golden Eaglets have a depleted team after the NFF asked players at MRI borderline to excuse the camp ahead of the WAFU B Qualifiers which will take place in Togo next January.

“It’s normal, I remember during our time, we learnt Ghana had about 100 players and only got about 30 after the MRI, so they (Golden Eaglets) had about 60 and got about 30, so its still good, and they are lucky to still have a very good team here. its for the good of Nigeria that we have young boys and its a standard that FIFA has set, so kudos to the Nigeria football federation.”

On the result of the match which ended 4-2 in favour of the Golden Eaglets, who conceded two late goals, after going four goals ahead over Dante Academy.

Coach Bunmi said:
“You must give kudos to the national team, very young boys and they did a good job, its a fine team”.

“Its not about my team, its about the national team. We’ve come here to help them, you can see the boys I selected, they are big and physical, these are the kind of boys they (Golden Eaglets) would play at the nations Cup. So if they can play like with these boys, its good. I have been to the qualifiers before, the Nations Cup and World Cup so I known what to expect.”

“I’ll also advise, if they are not going to play on astro turf in Togo, they need to start training on grass. Because I noticed my players couldn’t not move much on astro turf because they have been playing on grass. So the Eaglets needs to start playing on grass.

The former Gombe United manager confirmed this to the media after the game against Ghana U20 team.

“Quadri has always been a joker, he has always come in the second half and change the game for us.

“In the game like this we have very less number in the bench and we can only use what we have at the moment.

The 36 Lion FC winger changed the game when the Flying Eagles played Ivory Coast U20 team and also did the same against the Ghana today, but it was late before the coach introduced him into the game, which his magic couldn’t change the scoreline because of limited time.

Bosso, while fielding questions from newsmen after the game acknowledged that the team had received the best of support from the ministry of sport through NFF and despite their level of preparation, his boys failure to convert their chances has cost them the defeat.

“We had good chances that could have been used to finish the game in the first half but we couldn’t do that. They had only one chance and got it – we had three of those free kicks and we couldn’t let it in”, he lamented.

Noting that his lads performance bettered that of the last game, he insisted that; “it was unfortunate this time around we were very wasteful.

He pointed out that another influence which affected the outcome of the game was the  unavailability of some players.

“Two of our players were partially affected with Covid-19 and now in isolation, with another one not fit for the match, we only have to use the ones we have on ground.

“We had good chances that could have been used to finish the game in the first half but we couldn’t do that. They had only one chance and got it – we had three of those free kicks and we couldn’t let it in” he lamented.

The former FC IfeanyiUbah gaffer who played down interference in players selection for the team said all the players had come through a meritorious process. He hopes Nigerian will be fair to them in assessment as he tagged them a ‘future team’

Flying Eagles had played a 1-1 draw against Cote d’ivore in their first game and might now have to wait as the result of the next match between Ghana and the latter will determine their fate of advancing to the next stage.

Speaking from the team’s camp in Porto Novo, the Akwa Ibom State born defender lamented his side’s inability to hold on to their lead in the opening game against Cote d’Ivoire, adding that they will do all within their power to ensure victory against the Starlets, hence Nigerians should not lose faith in the team.

“I’m confident of our chances against the Ghanaian U-20 team, on Wednesday; we’re surely going to carry the day, said Moses, who got 90 minutes of action against the Baby Elephants.

“I’m not happy with the draw we played against Cote d’Ivoire, but I want our fans back in Nigeria to believe in the team.

“We’re focused and good to go; our aim is to make our country proud.

The team is on a quest for qualification to the Total U20 African Cup of Nations in Tanzania, where qualifiers from other zones in the continent would converge for limited slots to the 2021 World Youth Championship in Indonesia, and the left back insists the country’s qualification for the World Cup is not negotiable.

“Our task is to qualify from here first, and then we move on to the next stage of qualification, he said.

“But our overall mission is to qualify for the World Cup proper, and we’re definitely going to give it our best shot,” concluded Moses.

The Flying Eagles will play Black Satellites at Stade de Gaules on Wednesday 9 December 2020 with kick-off at 4:00pm.