COMPLETE STATS FOR ORANGE AFRICAN U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP, SENEGAL 2015

Nigeria Dominates Awards List, Team Of The Tournament…

NIGERIA, WINNERS – ORANGE AFRICAN U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP SENEGAL 2015 photo credit Confédération Africaine de Football, CAF

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) Yesterday released the complete general statistics for the just concluded Orange African U-20 Championship, Senegal 2015 Nigeria dominated the CAF Team Of The Tournament with Four players, followed closely by host Senegal with three players, while Ghana And Mali Provide two players each.

Nigeria’s Goalscoring Defender Musa Muhamed also made history as the Highest goal scorer of the tournament and not often do you get to see a defender win this award but the young lad was very clinical when it came to scoring penalties for his team.

The enterprising Ghanaian Midfielder Yaw Yeboah was deservedly named the The Orange Man Of The Tournament but it was the Nigerians dominating all the other awards, Nigeria’s Bernard Bulbwa’s wonder strike against Senegal in the final was adjudged the Best Goal of the tournament.

Nigeria also won the Fair play Trophy alongside the The Orange African U-20 Championship Trophy.

A total of 53 goals were scored in 16 matches with an average of 3.3 per match according to CAF.

GENERAL STATISTICS OF ORANGE AFRICAN U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP SENEGAL 2015

Winners: Nigeria

Fair play trophy: Nigeria

Orange Man of the tournament: Yaw Yeboah (Ghana)

Best goal of the tournament: Bernard Bulbwa (Nigeria) [against Senegal (final)]

Top scorer: Musa Muhamed (Nigeria) [4 goals]

CAF Team of the Tournament

Goalkeeper: Enaholo Joshua (Nigeria)

Defenders: Musa Muhammed (Nigeria), Souleymane Diarra (Mali), Mouhameth Sane (Senegal)

Midfielders: Sidy Sarr (Senegal), Alassane Diallo (Mali), Ibrahima Wadji (Senegal), Yaw Yeboah (Ghana), Idowu Elijah (Nigeria)

Forwards: Clifford Aboagye (Ghana), Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria)

Substitutes
Sory Ibrahim Traore (Mali), Joseph Aidoo (Ghana), Ifeanyi Matthew (Nigeria),
Omego Prince (Nigeria), Tyroane Joe Sandows (South Africa), Silvere Ganvoula Mboussy (Congo), Malick Toure (Mali), Prosper Kassim (Ghana)

Goals scored
53 goals were scored in 16 matches with an average of 3.3 per match

4 – Musa Mohammed (Nigeria)

3 – Awoniyi Taiwo Michael, Ibrahima Wadji, Sidi Sarr (Senegal), Silvere Ganvoula Mboussy (Congo), Tyroane Sandows (South Africa)

2 – Chris Bedia (Cote d’Ivoire), Dumisani Zuma (South Africa), Alassane Diallo, Hamidou Traore (Mali), Ifeanyi Matthew (Nigeria), Moussa Kone (Senegal), Yaw Yeboah (Ghana)

1 – Abraham Asiedu Attobrah, Clifford Aboagye, Benjamin Tetteh, Samuel Afful (Ghana); Malick Toure, Ichaka Diarra (Mali); Yakou Meite, Victorien Angban, Degbole Franck Niangbo (Cote d’Ivoire); Charles Zulu, Dave Daka (Zambia); Moise Nkounkou, Constantin Bakaki (Congo); Obinna Nwobodo, Bernard Bulbwa, Christian Pyagbara (Nigeria); El Hadji Malick Niang (Senegal); Motjeka Madisha (South Africa)

Own goal
Thamsanqa Tshiamo Masiya, Kabelo Seriba (South Africa)

Senegal 2015

Man of the Match

No. Match Man of the Match Country

1 Senegal – Nigeria Taiwo Awoniyi Nigeria

2 Congo – Cote d’Ivoire Silvere Ganvoula Mboussy Congo

3 Ghana – Nigeria Michel Otoo Ghana

4 Mali – Zambia Alassane Diallo Mali

5 Nigeria – Congo Taiwo Awoniyi Nigeria

6 Cote d’Ivoire – Congo Ibrahima Wandji Senegal

7 South Africa – Mali Hamidou Traore Mali

8 Zambia – Ghana Clifford Aboagye Ghana

9 Nigeria – Cote d’Ivoire Ifeanyi Matthew Nigeria

10 Senegal – Congo Mamadou Ndiaye Senegal

11 South Africa – Zambia Tyroane Joe Sandows South Africa

12 Ghana – Mali Diadie Samassekou Mali

13 Nigeria – Ghana Obinna Nwobodo Nigeria

14 Mali – Senegal Sidy Sarr Senegal

15 Ghana – Mali Yaw Yeboah Ghana

16 Nigeria – Senegal Bernard Bulbwa Nigeria

Final Ranking
1 – Nigeria
2 – Senegal
3 – Ghana
4 – Mali
5 – South Africa
6 – Cote d’Ivoire
7 – Congo
8 – Zambia

FLYING EAGLES WALLOP BABAYARO FC 9-0

The Flying Eagles trounced Babayaro FC of Abuja 9-0 in a test game played at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja Wednesday.

The Nigeria U20 team are preparing for two warm-up matches against their Ghanaian counterparts later this month in Accra.

Bernard Bulbwa and Usman Hassan scored a brace each, while the goal scorers were Izu Omega, Ifeanyi Matthew, Obinna Nwobodo, Samuel Okon and Gabriel Ikechukwu.

The Nigeria U20s started slowly and could only score twice in the first half.

Flying Eagles

But after the interval, the Flying Eagles stepped up their game to score seven goals.

The team are expected to leave for Accra via Lagos Friday afternoon.

They will play their first warm-up match against Black Satellites on Sunday, before they a second game against the same opponents on February 18.

They are expected back in the country on February 19.

The Flying Eagles are drawn in Group A of the 2015 African Youth Championship, which kicks off in Dakar, Senegal on March.

The other teams in that group are hosts Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo, while Ghana are in Group B along with South Africa, Mali and Zambia.

Wasiu Jimoh Nets 4 As Flying Eagles Wallop Amakson Academy of Abuja 7-1

Wasiu Jimoh from the Kwara Football Academy plundered four goals as the Flying Eagles hammered Amakson Academy of Abuja 7-1 in a test match on Thursday.

Jimoh has been a fringe player in the Nigeria U20 team, but in the absence of some of the established stars ‘Baba Kwara’ grabbed his chance to make a big statement ahead of a final qualifier against Lesotho on August 16 in Kaduna.

He opened scoring after 16 minutes when he jabbed home from a right cross by Ifeanyi Nweke.

He then made it 2-0 on 32 minutes with a long-range pile driver, before he completed his hat-trick in the 64th minute with yet another superb shot from distance.

He grabbed his fourth goal in the 78th minute with yet another classy effort.

Amakson first appeared to be up for a fight because after 36 minutes their lively skipper Isaac Udoh pulled a goal back with the Flying Eagles then leading 2-0.

Flying Eagles

It was a sublime finish by the impressive Udoh as he went past two defenders before slotting beyond goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo.

Thereafter, Taiwo Awoniyi and Sulaiman Abdullahi missed glaring chances, before Chisom Eze put the Nigeria U20 team 3-1 ahead on 62 minutes with a sweet finish.

After Jimoh fired his third and fourth goals, substitute Abubakar Lawal increased the tally to 6-1 after he was set up by Abdullahi.

The hard working Abdullahi completed the rout on the dot of 90 minutes from the penalty spot after Bernard Bulbwa was felled inside the box.

Flying Eagles vs Amakson Academy

Olorunleke Ojo – Ifeanyi Nweke, Mustapha Abdullahi (Adebayor Ademuluwa 46), Wilfred Ndidi (Rowland Silas 88), Zaharadeen Bello – Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akinjide Idowu 46), Wasiu Jimoh (Clement Ogbobe Junior 80), Chisom Eze, Obinna Nwobodo (Bernard Bulbwa 76) – Taiwo Awoniyi (Abubakar Lawal 76), Sulaiman Abdullahi

FLYING EAGLES TACKLE ABUJA FOOTBALL COLLEGE

The Flying Eagles will face Abuja Football College in another tune-up match on Wednesday morning at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.

The match will kick off at 7.30am.

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba said he hopes the football academy now famous for producing the likes of Dele Alampasu and Abdullahi Alfa will give his team a good test as they build up for next month’s 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier against either Kenya or Tanzania.

The winners of the first round AYC qualifier between Kenya and Tanzania will be decided this coming weekend after both teams played out a goalless draw in the first leg in Kenya two weeks ago.

The Flying Eagles, who have not broke camp for the Ester holidays, trained on Monday morning at the Abuja National Stadium practice pitch and will also do same on Tuesday.

Cheering news for the Nigeria U20s was that Manchester City midfielder Chidiebere Nwakali kicked a football for the first time since he joined the team to show he has fully recovered from a knee injury.

However, Bernard Bulbwa, Chidera Eze and Ahmed Umar are still trying to recover from various injuries.

Bulbwa is nursing a groin injury, Eze has a hamstring strain and Ahmed Umar is suffering from a knee complaint.

Flying Eagles train on Good Friday, drop 3 players

The Nigeria U20 team shunned the holiday festivities to train on Good Friday at the practice pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.

Bernard Bulbwa, Chidera Eze and Ahmed Umar trained outside the main squad as they are nursing injuries.

Bulbwa has a groin injury, Eze is nursing a hamstring strain and Umar has a knock on his right knee.

Chidiebere Nwakali, who also has a knee complaint, took part in all the training drills, but did not feature in the two-a-side game as he has yet to start kicking a football.

Three players have been dropped from the squad preparing for next month’s African Youth Championship qualifier against either Kenya or Tanzania.

The players are midfielders Uche Okereke and Fidelix Irene as well as goalkeeper Zaradeen Usman.

There are now 34 players in the team’s training camp in Abuja.

The Flying Eagles will play another test match on Saturday morning against Nationwide side Dabo Babes of Kano.

The match will kick off at 7am at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.

We have learnt from Morocco matches – Ugbade

Flying Eagles assistant coach Nduka Ugbade has said they have taken a lot of lessons from last week’s friendlies against Morocco U20s.

The Flying Eagles were forced to draws in the two matches in Morocco – 2-2 in the first match and 1-1 in the second game.

“The matches showed we have to step up our game because this is a much higher level than U17,” Ugbade said.

“So, we have to work on the boys psychologically in this aspect as well as improve them on the pitch because of the demands of a high-performance level we have now found ourselves in.”

The Nigeria U20s resumed training in Abuja Monday morning with a full house that included five of the foreign-based call-ups.

They are skipper Musa Muhammed (Besiktas,Turkey), Keelchi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City), Musa Yahaya (Tottenham Hotspur),Chidera Eze (FC Porto, Portugal).

Nwakali will later limp out of training with a right knee complaint.

Several players were excused from Monday morning’s training on account of knocks they suffered in Morocco, but which the medical staff say are not serious.

They included three-goal hero from Morocco Alhassan Ibrahim aka ‘Mu-azam’, Bernard Bulbwa and Taiwo Awoniyi.

FIFA ref Edibe lectures Flying Eagles

FIFA referee Peter Edibe handled the Flying Eagles Monday morning training so as to take the players through the laws of the game.

The training sessions were for seven-a-side games and after which Edibe addressed the players on the need to abide by a better dress code and be mindful of infringements inside their box even when the ball is at the other end of the pitch.

Edibe said he was proud that the bulk of the U17 team, who he also took on a similar exercise last year in Calabar went on to win the FIFA Fair Play Trophy at the U17 World Cup in the UAE.