Zubairu names 30-Man Flying Eagles squad for Egypt friendly

Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu has called up a 30-man squad to prepare for the team’s upcoming friendly matches against Egypt U20 on February 25 and 27 in Cairo according to football Journalist, MikeThePundit.

🚨Flying Eagles return to camp for Egypt friendlies

Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu has called to camp 30 players as Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles, prepare for a two-match tour of Egypt later this month.

This year’s U20 AFCON will be staged in Cote d’Ivoire, 26th April – 18th May pic.twitter.com/wC5yiqXIlU
— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) February 11, 2025

The friendly matches are part of the Flying Eagles’ buildup to the U20 AFCON, scheduled for April 26 to May 18 in Côte d’Ivoire, where the team will bid to claim the continental title for the eight time.

As reported by BSNSports.com.ng, The Flying Eagles began training on Monday with head coach Aliyu Zubairu and his coaching staff at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja and the team will intensify their preparations with double sessions (morning and afternoon) starting from Tuesday.

Despite being the record seven-time champions, the Flying Eagles have endured a four-tournament drought without lifting the trophy. They failed to qualify in 2019 and 2021, and finished fourth in 2019 and third in the 2023 edition.

The Flying Eagles will be thus be driven to end their AFCON title drought in Côte d’Ivoire, but they’ll face stiff competition, particularly from reigning champions Senegal, who won the previous edition by defeating Gambia in the final.

FULL 30-MAN FLYING EAGLES SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ifeanyi Harcourt (Sporting Lagos); Light Emerenonye (Diamond Academy); Abubakar Rufai (Mavlon FC)

Defenders: Adamu Maigari (El-Kanemi Warriors); Daniel Bameyi (Bayelsa United); Kenneth Igbokwe (Enugu Rangers); Haruna Aliyu (Wikki Tourists); Musa Ademu (Wireless FC); Shamsudeen Muhammad (Mavlon FC); Ibrahim Abdullahi; Shamsudeen Ishaq (Grassrunner FC); Steven Jolomi (Mavlon FC)

Midfielders: Raphael Oyebanji (Shuffle Select FC); Mohammed Ibrahim (Niger Tornadoes); Kizito Opara (Campus Academy); Alabi Sulaiman Jojo (El-Kanemi Warriors); Sulaiman Abubakar (Diamond Academy); Shafiu Adamu (Wikki Tourists); Cletus Simon (Mavlon FC)

Forwards: Bidemi Amole (Real Sapphire Academy); Clinton Japhet (Enyimba FC); Matthew Chukwusa (Morack Academy); Nasiru Salihu (El-Kanemi Warriors); Divine Olisha (Fostar Academy); Jerry Salami (Aspire Academy); Oluwaseyi Akinfenwa (Real Sapphire Academy); Shola Adelami (Ikorodu City); Abdulrahaman Ishaq (Sport Supply Academy); Ezekiel Anthony (Aspire Academy); Sodiq Olalekan Adewunmi (Jaguar FC)

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