National Teams
U20 AFCON: New players to strengthen Flying Eagles, says Aliyu Zubairu
By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria’s U20 men’s national team head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, is confident that the upcoming inclusion of foreign-based players will significantly strengthen the Flying Eagles as they prepare for the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Flying Eagles will be aiming for their eighth title when the tournament kicks off in Ivory Coast on April 26.
The West African side recently completed a two-legged friendly series against the Young Elephants of Ivory Coast, securing one win and one loss.
Zubairu explained that after a brief one-week break, the squad would resume training in Abuja, with several newly invited foreign-based players expected to join the team for their final preparations.
“We are looking forward to adding more quality with the arrival of the foreign-based players and some new faces we’ve scouted locally in Nigeria,” Zubairu stated after the team’s friendly match on Friday.
The coach also confirmed that some of the players from the WAFU qualifiers, including Kparobo, will return to reinforce the squad.
“We are on track,” he added, emphasizing the importance of creating a well-rounded, formidable team ahead of the competition.
