Head coach of Nigeria’s Under 20 side Paul Aigbogun released the names of 21 players he has picked to don Nigeria’s colours at the FIFA U20 World Cup, Poland 2019 with unknown names dominating the selection.
Nigeria finished 4th at the African Under 20 Championship in Niger earlier this year – the U20WC’s qualification tournament – and Aigbogun has listed only ten out of the 21 players that were in Niger, led by captain Ikouwem Udo Utin.
Aigbogun, a former Enyimba coach selected three Enyimba players in his squad with centre back Valentine Ozornwafor and midfielder Maxwell Effiom joining Utin as three of the ten surviving players from Niger 2019.
Leading the new set of players is Chile 2015 Under 17 World Cup winning midfielder Kingsley Michael and England based midfield duo of Nnamdi Ofoborh and Tom Dele-Bashiru.
The attack is an entirely changed set-up to the Niger tournament and has former Plateau United star Jerome Adams Akor and Sweden based Henry Offia as its star attraction with Water FC of Abuja starlet Success Makanjuola also making the cut.
The team are in Germany where they are training ahead of the global competition which will start on May 23 in Poland. The squad’s final pre-World Cup friendly will be against Red Bull Leipzig in Germany on Friday, with the delegation to fly out of Germany to Tychy on Sunday.
The Flying Eagles are drawn in Group D against Qatar, the United States of America and Ukraine and will face Qatar in their opening game in Tychy on 24th May.
THE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Detan Ogundare (Kogi United); Olawale Oremade (Kwara United; Jonathan Zaccala (Triestina FC, Italy)
Defenders: Valentine Ozornwafor (Enyimba FC); Aliu Salawudeen (Amuneke Academy); Igoh Ogbu (Rosenborg BK, Norway); Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba FC); Muhammad Rabiu (Plateau United); Jamil Muhammad (Kano Pillars)
Midfielders: Nnamdi Ofoborh (AFC Bournemouth, England); Eletu Peter (Prince Kazeem FC); Ayotomiwa Dele-Bashiru (Manchester City, England); Kingsley Michael (AC Perugia, Italy); Effiom Maxwell (Enyimba FC); Aniekeme Okon (Akwa United); Collins Sor (Oasis FC)
Forwards: Jerome Adams (Sogndal IL, Norway); Tijani Muhammed (FC Banik Ostrava, Czech Republic); Henry Offia (IK Sirius Uppsala, Sweden); Chinonso Emeka (Club Brookhouse, England); Success Makanjuola (Water FC)
