Coach Aliyu Zubairu has spoken of the Flying Eagles going all the way at this year’s U20 World Cup in Chile and SCORENigeria names five players who can push the team to make history in South America.
5.Ahmed Akinyele
The Remo Stars central defender has formed a great partnership with captain Daniel Bameyi in the heart of the Flying Eagles back four. He is a direct replacement of Emmanuel Chukwu from German club Hoffenheim, who featured at the U20 AFCON in Egypt earlier this year. Akinyele scored from a corner in a 1-1 draw with World Cup hosts Chile in a warm-up game last week.
4.Ebenezer Harcourt
The Sporting Lagos shot stopper is now a subject of great interest by several top foreign clubs including mighty Manchester United after he made his senior international debut at the recent CHAN in East Africa. At only 15, he is a strapping giant, whose potentials have already been recognised by the Super Eagles coach Eric Coach so much so that he was on the Super Eagles provisional squad for recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He has been the team’s reliable No 1 goalkeeper.
3.Daniel Daga
This will be the Molde of Norway player’s second U20 World Cup after he featured at the previous tournament in Argentina to years ago. He has only linked up with the rest of the squad in Chile, but there is no doubt that his combativeness in defensive midfield will be crucial to the progress of the team again in South America.
2.Kparobo Ariehi
He was the team’s top scorer at last year’s WAFU B qualifiers in Togo with three goals including a brace in the final against perennial rivals Ghana. He could only manage a goal at the U20 AFCON in Egypt, but this natural goal poacher is now expected to step up at the world stage. He has grown physically since his transfer in January to Norwegian club Lillestrom and his goals in the Norwegian second division can only boost his self-belief.
1.Daniel Bameyi
Captain Fantastic, who recently completed his long-awaited transfer to Europe, is the pillar of the Flying Eagles defence. He leads by example and has stood out right from the sub-regional qualifying tournament in Togo last year. Like Daga, this will be his second U20 World Cup and his experience will come in handy as the team aim to go all the way in the Chile after previous Nigerian sides faltered in the championship game in 1989 and 2005.
