2015 AYC Qualifier: LESOTHO U20s FLY INTO ABUJA ON FRIDAY

Lesotho U20 team are due to arrive Abuja on Friday ahead of a 2015 AYC qualifier against their Nigerian counterparts the following day in Kaduna.

Flying Eagles team secretary Aliyu Auwal Ibrahim disclosed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have received a schedule of the Lesotho team for Saturday’s qualifier in Kaduna.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have reassured Lesotho after they expressed concerns over the Ebola Virus disease in West Africa.

The return leg match of this final AYC qualifier will be played in Maseru a fortnight later with the overall winners advancing to the tournament proper in Senegal in March.

MUSA YAHAYA GOES FOR GOALS VS TANZANIA

Lesotho eliminated Angola in the previous round to reach this stage of the qualifying series.

In the meantime, midfielder Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, has regained his fitness and featured for the first team in a test game against the second team on Thursday morning.

The defensive midfielder did not show any signs of distress as the first team fired three unreplied goals past their other colleagues after a tight first half that ended without any goals.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Wilfred Ndidi were among the scorers for what looks likely to be the team that will start on Saturday afternoon at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.

FLYING EAGLES ARRIVE IN KADUNA FOR LESOTHO CLASH

Nigeria U20s, the Flying Eagles, arrived Kaduna Sunday afternoon after a short bus ride from Abuja ahead of a final 2015 AYC qualifier against Lesotho next weekend.

The squad of 25 players were led by coach Manu Garba.

Manu Garba

They are putting up at the African Continental Hotel in Kaduna, just as they did when they hosted Tanzania in the previous round of the AYC qualifiers.

The Flying Eagles will begin training on Monday at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, where the qualifier against Lesotho will be played on Saturday.

The return leg match will be played a fortnight later in Maseru with the overall winners advancing to the 2015 AYC in Senegal in March. Lesotho are expected later in the week in Kaduna.

“We are very much at home in Kaduna after we thrashed Tanzania 4-1 in the previous round,” said defender Zaharadeen Bello.

“And we hope to again prove how much at home we are here with another convincing victory against Lesotho on Saturday.” Senegalese referees have been appointed for the match.

In the meantime, midfielder Abdullahi Alfa is expected to join the squad on Monday after undergoing trials in Norway. He is the only player on the 25-man squad named at the weekend who is yet to be in Kaduna.