KAA Gent striker Ahmed Abdullahi has been left out of the Flying Eagles 55-man provisional squad for the FIFA U20 World Cup, while Turkey-based defender Michael Ologo has been handed a second chance after he did not make the final cut to the recent U20 AFCON in Egypt.
Abdullahi posted a sour-and-sweet outing at the AFCON when he saw red in the opening game against Senegal only to score in the third-place match against Tunisia.
Istanbulspor central defender Ologo, on the other hand, was a surprise omission from the U20 AFCON after he had featured for the U23s in a 2024 Olympics eliminator.
He is expected to bring his maturity and experience in the heart of the back four should he now make the final squad to the World Cup
As expected, the players who featured at the U20 AFCON form the bulk of the provisional squad.
Goalkeepers Chijioke Anigboso and Nathanial Nwosu, skipper Daniel Bameiyi, Solomon Agbalaka, Benjamin Frederick, Daniel Daga, Samson Lawal, Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Beji’, Jude Sunday, Mohammed Aminu, Onuche Ogbelu and Haliru Sarki make the squad.
There are also several fresh call-ups like central defender Vince Osuji from the Golden Eaglets Class of 2021; Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv pair of Emmanuel Umeh and Tochukwu Nnadi as well as Victor Eletu and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro from the U19s of AC Milan and Inter Milan, respectively.
This week, the Flying Eagles submitted to FIFA a provisional squad from which Ladan Bosso will select a final 21-man squad for the U20 World Cup next month in Argentina.
Nigeria are drawn against Brazil, Italy and the Dominican Republic in the first round of the tournament.
