In a bid to prepare for the U-20 AFCON, the Flying Eagles have regrouped for a tour of Egypt later this month, and in-form Ikorodu City midfielder Shola Adelani has been called up to the men’s national U-20 side.
This season, the player has scored seven goals in the Nigeria Premier Football League, five of which have come in his past five appearances.
Before the two friendlies that will take place in Cairo on February 25 and 27, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has called up 30 players to camp. There are three goalies, nine defenders, seven midfielders, and eleven forwards on the roster.
The three goalkeepers invited for the assignment are: Ifeanyi Harcourt (Sporting Lagos); Light Emerenonye (Diamond Academy); Abubakar Rufai (Mavlon FC)
Some other players invited include Bayelsa United defender Daniel Bameyi, Rangers International’s Kenneth Igboke, El-Kanemi Warriors trio Adamu Maigari, Nasiru Salihu and Sulaimon Alabi, while Enyimba striker Clinton Jephta also made the cut.
This year’s U-20 AFCON will be staged in Ivory Coast from April 26 to May 15. It will also serve as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Chile from September 27 to October 19, 2025.
The Flying Eagles, champions of Africa in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015, won the WAFU-B U20 Championship held in Lome, Togo in October last year to be eligible for the finals in Ivory Coast. They defeated Ghana’s Black Satellites 3-1 in the final match.
The two-time FIFA World Cup runners-up, in 1989 and 2005, came within breathing distance of the semi-finals at the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Argentina, before losing narrowly to the Korea Republic after extra time.
