By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have suffered a major setback ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, with key defender Adamu Maigari ruled out of the tournament through injury.
Maigari picked up the injury during the team’s training sessions and has been declared unfit to recover in time for the competition.
The right-back was a standout performer at the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt, where Coach Aliyu Zubairu’s side finished third. He featured in all six matches at the tournament and was named Man of the Match once for his impressive display.
Losing Maigari is a major concern for Coach Zubairu, who had relied heavily on the youngster’s defensive stability and attacking support down the flank.
Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles are scheduled to travel to Chile on Sunday for their final phase of preparations before the World Cup kicks off.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
