The 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations kicked off last weekend in Egypt, with 13 teams battling for the ultimate prize in the North African country.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are gunning for a record-extending eighth title at the competition, which also serves as the qualifier for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be staged in Chile later this year.
In this piece, Completesports.com’s ADEBOYE AMOSU profiles five players who will be vital to the team’s success in the competition.
Kparobo Arierhi (Lillestrom, Norway)
The young forward will shoulder the goal-scoring responsibility for the Flying Eagles in Egypt. The former Beyond Limits FA player played a crucial role in Nigeria’s success at the WAFU B U-20 Championship in Lomé, Togo, last year.
Kparobo scored three goals in that competition, including a brace in the final against eternal rivals, the Black Satellites of Ghana.
The 18-year-old, who secured a move to Norwegian outfit Lillestrøm after the tournament, also scored two goals in the Flying Eagles’ last two friendlies against local side Moraks FC and the Young Pharaohs of Egypt.
Daniel Bameyi (Bayelsa United, Nigeria)
The captain was part of the team that finished third at the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations two years ago in Egypt. The tough-tackling defender can play as both a right-back and a centre-back.
Bameyi was one of Nigeria’s top performers at the WAFU B U-20 Championship last year.
He earned a call-up to the Super Eagles for a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea-Bissau.
His experience and composure will be vital for Aliyu Zubairu’s side in this tournament.
Clinton Jephta (Enyimba, Nigeria)
The Enyimba winger scored three times for the Flying Eagles in Togo last year, including a brace in the 3-1 semi-final victory over Niger Republic.
Known for his dribbling ability, Jephta is one of the most exciting prospects in the Flying Eagles squad. He also has a good understanding with top striker Kparobo Arierhi.
His versatility will be key for a team aiming for its first title since 2015.
Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos, Nigeria)
The Sporting Lagos goalkeeper is the youngest player in Nigeria’s 24-man squad for the biennial tournament — he will only turn 16 in October.
Harcourt was handed a starting berth in place of Nathaniel Nwosu in Nigeria’s second group game against Côte d’Ivoire at the WAFU B tournament and has not relinquished the position since.
The young shot-stopper is physically imposing and has sharp reflexes.
Precious Benjamin (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany)
The 18-year-old joined Bundesliga club Hoffenheim from Grassrunners FC of Ikenne last month. He was one of the standout talents discovered in season five of the Bayelsa State Governor’s Football Tournament, tagged “Prosperity Cup.”
The forward, who is strong in the air, is also a clinical finisher. He brings a mix of physicality and finesse to the Flying Eagles’ attack.
Benjamin scored a penalty in the Flying Eagles’ 2-1 friendly win over Egypt.
4 Comments
Success is your portion . These boys are not Woke. They are blessed. Heaven bless the Flying Eagles and all deserving underage Nigerian players.
Some faces look young. Others look ancestral.
Indeed, hard life can make players look older sometimes. But advancing age is often the main culprit!
This is supposed to be a feeder team for the SE. When the feeder team looks older than the senior team, no be wahala? What is the succession plan?
Pompei, the vbest method would have been gradually promoting most of the under 17 that failed to qualify for Afcon.
There is a reason FIFA is staging under 17 world cups for straight 5 years.
MRI scans would have relatively given most African teams a semblance of real age to keep building their national teams.
Under 20 don’t need MRI scans little wonder most of our boys are not sensational after world cups and they scramble instead for obscure leagues that don’t mind their lack of basic football sense and very obvious fake age.
Under 20 boys are supposed to still be mostly swift and speedsters. Make we dey watch. This Thursday.
NFF have finally concluded that poaching our foreign born boys will be better. These age grade tournaments for them are only expected to maybe have “their own” in foreign leagues to send kickbacks if they make am
Sly, In the past, we deceived ourselves by sending men to play in boys’ tournaments. Only to end up empty handed later, when boys that should be maturing into the SE are nowhere to be found. What is the use winning multiple UNDER WHATEVER world cups, when the players are not making the expected progression into the senior team?
For once, NFF should not be too focused on WETIN WE GO CHOP. If the process is done right, everyone benefits.