Nigeria’s U20 men’s national team, the Flying Eagles, have begun training in Accra, Ghana, in preparation for the 2024 WAFU B U20 Boys Championship.
Originally planned as an expanded tournament including teams from the 9-nation WAFU A zone, organizers have reverted to a WAFU B-only format. The competition will now take place in Ghana’s capital city from July 10 to 23.
Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu has selected a 20-man squad led by captain Daniel Bameyi.
The team includes several players from the group that secured third place at the Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt just two months ago — a performance that earned them qualification for the upcoming FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
Among the returnees are goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, defender Odinaka Okoro, and midfielders Bidemi Amole, Ezekiel Kpangu, Divine Oliseh, and Tahir Maigana.
Several new faces have also been added to the squad, including Bayelsa United shot-stopper Clinton Andy, defenders Abba Sadiq and Marvelous Freedom, midfielder Abduljelil Kamaldeen, and forwards Imrana Muhammad and Qudus Olayiwola.
The Flying Eagles, who won the last two editions of the WAFU B U20 Championship (held in Niger Republic and Togo), will begin their title defense against host nation Ghana in the opening Group A fixture on Thursday, July 10 at 3:00 PM, at the Prampram Centre in Accra.
Their second and final group match will be against Benin Republic on Sunday, July 13, as part of the three-team Group A.
Group B consists of Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, and Togo, with the Ivorians set to face Burkina Faso in the group’s opening clash.
