A very confident coach Ladan Bosso has told SCORENigeria he will be going into the U20 AFCON with a better Flying Eagles than the one who topped the qualifying tournament in Niger Republic in May.
“This is a better team than the one from the qualifying tournament,” he declared.
“One of our best players in Niger was Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Ibeji’, but he has not been at his best and such is the depth in the talent of the current team that I could drop him without losing much sleep.
“Or take the case of Lawal Samson, who featured regularly in Niger, but now has to fight for a first-team place.”
Eleven players survived the purge from the qualifiers, which means that most likely 10 new players will be at the U20 AFCON in Egypt.
Besides goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu and right fullback Augustine Njoku, this team will be in Egypt with an entirely new defence.
Wingers Jude Sunday and Emmanuel Uchegbu, strikers Olamilekan Adams and Francis Ayuba as well as defenders Daniel Bamaiyi, Solomon Agbalaka, Abel Ogwuche and Michael Oloho are among the top additions to the squad.
The Flying Eagles had less than two weeks to prepare for the qualifiers, but the U20 AFCON proper they have enjoyed two extended training camps in Abuja during which they tested their readiness against some top teams.
The Junior Eagles defeated their Zambian counterparts 4-2 in a warm-up game played in Abuja earlier this month and they are also scheduled to play two top friendlies against Benin Republic and South Sudan in Morocco before they land in Egypt.
Bosso restated that qualification to the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May remains the team’s No 1 priority.
“Qualifying for the World Cup is the target and anything after that will be a bonus,” he said.
They are drawn in a tough-looking Group A that includes hosts Egypt and Senegal.
Nigeria last featured at the 2019 World Cup in Poland, where they reached the Round of 16.
