•Road to the finals: Defeated Guinea Bissau (2-2, 1-0); Defeated Mauritania (1-1; 5-0)
Perennial campaigners, Nigeria are seeking a record eighth title as the Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations gets underway in Niger.
Ex Rangers, Flying Eagles star serves Enugu food as he launches De Lamb Table
Winners in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015, the Eagles failed to defend their title the last time in Zambia after a shock elimination by Sudan via away goal;s after a 5-5 tie on aggregate.
This time under experienced coach Paul Aigbogun, the Flying Eagles held their nerves with a near perfect campaign and saw off both Guinea Bissau and Mauritania to book their 12th appearance at the biennial event being hosted in Niger for the first time.
“The U-20 Nations Cup is a tough competition because most of the players are already playing at club levels some even in Europe,” Manu Garba who supervised Nigeria’s last triumph in Senegal four years ago said.
“In 2015, when we defeated Senegal in the final in Dakar, most of the Senegalese were already playing in Europe but we had the bulk of a young 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winning team, though Kelechi Iheanacho and Success Isaac were not released by their clubs”.
This time, the Flying Eagles have in their mix four foreign-based players including tough tackling defender Igoh Ogbu who plies his trade with Norwegian side Rosenborg BK. There are also slots for striker Yahaya Nazifi of Sonderjyske FC as well as Afeez Aremu of IK Start and Vaxjo United FC‘s striker Onyekachi Durugbor Paschal who was a last minute replacement for injured Victor Boniface Okoh.
Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles already have their work cut out in Niger where they are pitched in Group A along with hosts Niger, Burundi and South Africa.
The seven-time African champions Nigeria open their account against South Africa at the Stade General Seyni Kountche on 2 February, to be followed with two key ties against South Africa on 5 February before wrapping it up against perennial rivals and neighbours Nigeria three days later.
“We don’t need to underrate any team; South Africa is a very good team as well because they defeated us in the U-17 AFCON in 2015 and that was an experience (for me),” noted goalkeeper David Udoh who featured for the Golden Eaglets four years ago at the U-17 AFCON hosted by Niger in 2015. “We would need to fight till the very end because our target is qualification for the World Cup.”
Unlike their predecessors that won in 2015 on the back of a solid preparation including top friendly matches against Morocco and Ghana and winning the novel Super Six tournament that included the country’s national U-23 team as well as four other domestic premier league sides (Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins); the Aigbogun-led side had the luxury of attending only the sub regional WAFU U-20 Tournament held in Togo last December where they were beaten 2-0 by Senegal in the final.
Nevertheless, Garba said the Flying Eagles have what it takes to excel in Niger: “The Flying Eagles chances in Niger are bright because most of the players are playing for top Nigerian clubs and they are in good shape.
“We are hoping they will qualify from their group and make it to the FIFA U-20 World Cup. I wish them a successful outing in Niger and praying they will qualify to the World Cup as African Champions.”
Head Coach
Paul Aigbogun
Aigbogun has been in coaching for over two decades now and he’s a holder of both CAF and UEFA coaching licenses. Has varied experiences with spells in Wales, USA, South Africa at Cape Town City FC and England where he reportedly headed the youth section of Bury FC.
He has huge reputation for identifying young talents some of whom have played for Nigeria national team including Sunday Mba who scored the winning goal for the Super Eagles at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
On the Nigerian domestic scene, Aigbogun at one time or the other led Warri Wolves and Enyimba to different continental cup competitions albeit without success.
Players to watch
Ikouwem Udo Club: Enyimba
Inspirational captain who plays from the left back and even scored a couple of goals in the qualifiers. Already a Silver medal winner at the last Total African Nations Championship held in Morocco (in 2018), he was named 2018 Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Young Player of the Year. He cut his footballing teeth at modest Alaska Football Academy in Akwa Ibom but has grown in stature and rank since his arrival at Enyimba International at 16.
Igoh Ogbu
Club: Rosenborg (Norway)
A strong central defender with Norwegian side Rosenborg BK, and also one of the four overseas-based players in the squad.
Ogbu was the vice-captain of the national U-17 (Golden Eaglets) that was eliminated by Niger in the penultimate qualifier towards Gabon 2017.
Yahaya Nazifi
Club: Sonderjyske FC (Denmark)
Striker Nazifi, who was recently transferred from Kano Pillars to Danish side, Sonderjyske FC came through the NFF youth set up after playing in both the U-15 and U-17 national teams.
For a fact, Niger 2019 will undoubtedly give striker Yahaya Nazifi a feeling of Déjà vu after failing to score at the 2015 U-17 AFCON incidentally hosted by Niger. He equally fired blank over the two legs against the Junior Mena in the penultimate round towards the 2017 U-17 AFCON hosted by Gabon. But he has since cleaned up his act and struck a brace in the 5-0 thrashing of Mauritania in Lagos for an aggregate of 6-1 win that sealed Flying Eagles’ qualification for this year’s Total U-20 AFCON.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/u-20-afcon-nigeria-on-the-march-again/
