February 18, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s Under-20 football team, the Flying Eagles, have received a boost ahead of their opening game in the 2023 U-20 AFCON tournament in Egypt.
In a press release, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that Ahmed Abdullahi, a rising star playing for KAA Gent in Belgium, has joined the squad in Cairo. Abdullahi was part of the team that won the WAFU B U-20 Championship in Niger Republic last year, and despite suffering an injury during the tournament, he still managed to score one goal. His attacking abilities are expected to add firepower to the Flying Eagles’ game.
Coach Ladan Bosso supervised the team’s training session on Friday, with a focus on recovery after the long trip from Casablanca. Another training session is scheduled for Saturday evening. Nigeria is aiming for an eighth continental title and will play host nation Egypt and Mozambique in Group A. The top four teams in the 12-nation tournament will qualify for this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Indonesia, which will take place from May 20 to June 11.
On Sunday, the Flying Eagles will face Senegal in their first Group A match at the Cairo International Stadium, with Moroccan Jalal Jayed appointed as the referee. Nigeria has a strong age-range football tradition, having won silver and bronze medals at the FIFA World Cup twice and once respectively.
The team will be eager to showcase their talents and secure a victory in their quest for U-20 AFCON glory.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
