Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been earmarked
to play against the youth teams of three bundesliga clubs, the Nigerian
Football Federation have confirmed. The Manu Garba touted side are currently
camping in Germany ahead of
the U20 World Cup which will take place in New Zealand at the end of the
month. The team is expected to face the U23 sides of Freiburg, Hoffenheim and Nurnberg.
Following details released from the
official website of the Nigerian Football Federation, the first of these
matches will take place on 12 May against Hoffenheim U23s (kick off time, 4pm
Nigerian Time). The Flying Eagles will then file out against Nurnberg
on 15 May. (4.30pm) while the last of the friendly matches will be against Freiburg which will hold on 19 May (2.30pm)
The matches should allow
Manu Garba and his assistants the opportunity to take another look at his
players in a match situation against top quality opposition which these clubs
would provide. The team only arrived in Germany
on Monday to begin it preparation towards a tournament they will be bidding to
win for the first time, having lost out in the finals in 1989 in Saudi Arabia and a decade ago to a Lionel Messi
inspired Argentina in the
finals in the Netherlands.
Manu Garba is expected to name his
21 man squad for the U20 World Cup on 21 May which is the FIFA deadline for the
submission of the list.
The Flying Eagles will be going to New Zealand as African champions having won the
African U20 Championships held in Senegal two months ago. The team
drawn mostly from the side that won the U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates two years ago dominated their
opponents in Dakar,
and they were heads and above the best team in the tournament.
Nigeria are in Group E of the U20 World Cup
where they will face Brazil,
Hungary
and Korea DPR.
Other African countries heading to the tournament includes Ghana, who are in Group B and they will face Panama, Argentina
and Austria.
While Senegal,
who lost to Nigeria in the
finals of African U20 Championships will play on Group D, against Serbia, Mexico
and South American side, Uruguay.
The tournament runs from May 30 to
June 20, 2015.
Photo Credit: Google/Completesportsnigeria
