Manu Garba Releases 30-Man List for Germany Camp
Flying Eagles head coach, Manu Garba, has released the names
of a total of 30 players believed to be the best bunch of Nigerian boys under
the age of 20 for the training camp in Germany to step up preparations ahead of
the upcoming FIFA under-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Nigeria has never won the World Youth Championships but has
been runners-up twice in 1989 and 2005. This will be the twentieth edition of
the championships.
The 30-man list is expected to be later pruned down, with a
final list of 21 players to be submitted to FIFA on the 15th of May. The tournament
proper is from May 30 to June 20.
The list springs no new surprises, though.
Dele Alampasu, former Golden Eaglets goalkeeper, makes the
cut as well as Olorunleke Ojo who has been impressive for Giwa FC in the
Nigerian Premier Football league this season.
The duo of World U-17 champions Chidiebere Nwakali of Manchester
City and Musa Yahaya of Tottenham Hotspur both in England were also invited. There’s
room also for young strikers Taiwo Awoniyi, Success Isaac and Kelechi Iheanacho.
This is the 30-Man squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Adamu Abubakar (Flash FC); Dele Alampasu
(Football College Academy); Joshua Enaholo (MFM FC); Olorunleke Ojo (Giwa FC)
Defenders: Saheed Abdul-Ganiyu (Ace Acade
my); Monsuru
Bashiru (MFM FC); Zaharaddeen Bello (Dabo Babes Academy); Musa Muhammed (FC
Heart Academy); Abdullahi Mustapha (Spotlight FC); Onyinye Ndidi (KRC Genk,
Belgium); Samuel Okon (Greater Tomorrow Academy); Prince Omego (Apapa Golden
Stars)
Midfielders: Abdullahi Alfa (Football College Academy); Bernard
Bulbwa (Shuttle Sports Academy); Akinjide Idowu (Nigeria Young Academy);
Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Water FC); Wasiu Jimoh (Kwara Academy); Ifeanyi Mathew
(El-Kanemi Warriors); Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City, England); Kingsley
Sokari (Enyimba FC); Musa Yahaya (Tottenham Hotspur, England)
Forwards: Alhassan Abdullahi (FC Heart Academy); Taiwo
Awoniyi (Imperial Academy); Chidera Ezeh (FC Porto, Portugal); Saviour Godwin
(FC Sports); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Success Isaac
(Granada FC, Spain); Christian Pyagbara (Dolphins FC); Usman Sale (Wikki
Tourists); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium).
Nigeria have been placed in Group E where she squares up
against former champions Brazil, North Korea, and Hungary.
Nigeria’s first game will be against Brazil at the Stadium
Taranaki, New Plymouth on June 1, 2015.