FLYING EAGLES SETTLE DOWN IN DAKAR AHEAD AYC OPENER

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have settled down in Dakar ahead of Sunday’s opening AYC match against hosts Senegal.

The Flying Eagles checked into their four-star Alafifa Hotel in bustling downtown Dakar, not far from the Presidential villa, around 3am local time, which will be 4am Nigerian time Thursday) after a flight that took them from Abuja via Lagos and Banjul, Gambia.

They will train most likely at the match venue by 4.30pm local time later Thursday.

Nigeria leader of delegation Rafiu Yusuf said the traditional arrival meeting with CAF officials earlier fixed for Thursday will now be on Friday.

Weather conditions are favourable, warm in the afternoon and not as cold as it was the early morning when the team touched down in Dakar.

“It’s mildly cold, good weather to play football non-stop,” said midfielder Ifeanyi Ifeanyi.

In the meantime, Flying Eagles opponents on Sunday, Senegal, have been busy preparing for the tournament as they have won their last two warm-up matches against both Zambia and South Africa, who are in Group B.

The host nation won both matches 1-0.

Reports suggest they have revamped the squad now handled by former Teranga Lions of Senegal coach Joseph Koto in the last two weeks.

SAMM AUDU,

Flying Eagles Name Final AYC Squad Thursday

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have to submit a final 21-man squad for the 2015 AYC to CAF by midnight of Thursday, officials have disclosed.

The Nigeria U20 currently have a 28-man provisional squad that includes Belgium-based defender Wilfred Ndidi and Dolphins new signing Christian Pyagbara.

Pyagbara joined the Flying Eagles training camp in Abuja on their return from two warm-up matches in Ghana, while the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are waiting on Belgian club Genk over the release of Ndidi for the AYC.

In the meantime, the results of the scans on Musa Yahaya and Zaharadeen Bello are expected to be made known in the new week.

Yahaya suffered a knee injury during the Flying Eagles second test match against Ghana in Tema, while Bello is nursing a swollen calf.

The Nigeria U20s are due to fly out for a training tour ahead of the AYC, which kicks off March 8 in Dakar, Senegal.