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, 7th – 20th 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, 8th 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.
Read Also: Europa League: Rangers Can Get Positive Result Against Leipzig
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)
9 Comments
https://youtu.be/h09p9ioI3n8
Ghana ll still beat our wives haha
The BAE EAGLES are next in line
https://youtu.be/h09p9ioI3n8
Ghana ll still beat our wives haha
The BAE EAGLES are next in line
Hmmmmmm what an emergency fire brigade squad! How do we expect a good result or expect the coach and the team to perform magic with this fire brigade approach.
Oi! Dis be true Nigerian teenagers, ei
What to Expect From Ladan Bosso Tutored Side
Having put myself through a period akin to a visit to the dentist at times, I have tried to decipher what to expect from the 4th installment of Ladan Bosso as the moot head coach of the Flying Eagles of Nigeria.
The 49 year old veteran coach is not a favourite of many Nigeria fans. To them, Bosso and failure are not mutually exclusive. But I simply disagree with that assertion. Bosso is not brilliant but he is definitely not a waste of space either.
For me, he is like a mid table league manager, similar to say Sean Dyche, Nathan Jones, Tony Pulis or even Eddie Howe in English club football.
When it comes to style of play, Bosso tends to go for something like 4-1-1-2-2. He normally has his bank of four defenders with a defensive midfielder just behind or towards the side of a centre midfielder. Then there are two attacking midfielders behind one support striker and a centre forward.
It is a solid set up that provides balance right across the park. What I like is his varied attacking routines. Sometimes, his Flying Eagles implement a slow but methodical build up from defence through to midfield – all on the ground – before the strikers try to implement a 1-2 manoeuvre just outside the opposition 18 yard box to carve open defences.
Other times, you see the left fullback launch a long ball to the centre forward who attempts to knock it down to his strike partner to be one on one with the goalkeeper.
You also see long balls launched from the defensive midfielder or one of the attacking midfielders from right of left to the centre forward to lay it back to an on rushing midfielder to shoot on goal.
Bosso encourages his players to shoot from long range as well. In short, there is a wide variety to their attacking build up play but there is a problem.
The attacking intention is there but it is just not refined enough. The design is not defective, it is just not polished leading to a machine that is not well oiled or drilled enough.
Watching Bosso’s boys’ build up play is like watching a blockbuster movie on black and white television with lines and pixels blotting the screen: the ideas are definitely there, these just need to be better developed and greatly refined.
What I like is the variety to their play and the intentions behind their routines. But the blending, class, quality and finish are not always there from his players while his own instructions are not even well baked enough to lift the players beyond their natural abilities.
The organisation and discipline can be better as his boys can be drawn out of shape needlessly. The fact that he didn’t spend much time to prepare his previous under 20 team was evident in that communication, interaction and understanding could have been better on the field of play.
Bosso is not that bad as a coach but he is yet to convince me that he is brilliant. He is just okay.
Perhaps if he has more time to mould a team and also invest more in himself as a coach, he could get better. But even at the moment, he is not a failure by any stretch of the word.
What do I expect in Niger Republic? Not much really!
Bosso has what it takes to give it a good fight. If his team can show character and if they learn at a whirlwind pace, then perhaps they can manage to come out for the group.
A well refined outfit with a killer instinct will tear his Flying Eagles to shreds! But, if they play to their strengths and elevate their level of concentration they might yet many, including themselves.
Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, Bosso’s boys will not go down without a fight.
Correction to the second to the last paragraph:
“A well refined outfit with a killer instinct will tear his Flying Eagles to shreds! But, if they play to their strengths and elevate their level of concentration they might yet Suprise many, including themselves.
How come certain Adams Olubi(the only foreign based) who was not in the 40man roster, not even 6 that was added made the list? I want to believe that he’s still playing for his club in Europe and the amazing part of it is that he made wafu u20 without appearing in the trials.
Selfmade,, what is wrong with you, ?You are beginning to irritate me, Don’t Ghana lose games??? Has anyone from any country behaved like you are doing now after any victory over any Ghanaian side?. Even little Comoros must have forgotten about their victory over Ghana and moved on, because to them (Comoros) “it’s no big deal to defeat Ghana” but for a lowlife retard like you, you must celebrate any victory over any Nigerian side as if it brings food to your table. Go and get life please and stop being a nuisance here. You are grossly and overtly irresponsible
We in Ghana are happy anytime Nigerians are irritated. Lol