Iheanacho, Simon Lead Invitees For Senegal 2015

Head Coach of the U-23 National Team (Dream Team), Samson Siasia has invited a total of 51 players made up of 35 home based and 16 overseas based professionals to camp, in preparation for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations holding in Senegal from 28th November – 12th December this year.

From the list released, the home based players are being led to camp by experienced Enugu Rangers’ goal –tender Emmanuel Daniel, Abia Warriors defender Erhun Obanor, Warri Wolves attacking midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo and Enyimba midfield maestro Kingsley Sokari.

The overseas legion is being led by Turkey–based Azubuike Okechukwu (captain of the team), Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, Belgium based Moses Simon, Spain–based Isaac Success and Germany–based Taiwo Awoniyi.

Home based players are expected to report to the Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye camp immediately while the overseas -based players would report at the team’s final training camp before the tournament.

Siasia Samson Nigeria U23 Coach credit fifa.com

Full list of foreign –based players:
1. Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey)
2. Junior Ajayi (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia)
3. Taiwo Awoniyi (Germany)
4. Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England)
5. Moses Simon (KAA Gent Belgium)
6. Wilfred Ndidi (Genk, Belgium)
7. Isaac Success (Granada, Spain)
8. Dele Alampasu (Estoril, Portugal)
9. Shehu Abdullahi (Uniao Da Madeira, Portugal)
10. Alex Iwobi (Arsenal, England)
11. Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovenia)
12. Vin Solomon Otabor (Birmingham, England)
13. Uche Ikpeazu (Port Vale FC, England)
14. Stanley Amuzie (Olhanense, Portugal)
15. Aminu Umar (Osmanlispor, Turkey)
16. Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjylland, Denmark)

The full list of home based players
1. Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers)
2. Yusuf Mohammed (Kano Pillars)
3. Emmanuel Iwu (Heartland FC)
4. Segun Oduduwa (Nath Boys)
5. Sincere Seth (Rhapsody)
6. Erhun Obanor (Abia Warriors)
7. Chima Akas (Sharks FC)
8. Daniel Etor (Enyimba FC)
9. Oghenekaro Etebo (Warri Wolves FC)
10. Godwin Aguda (Enugu Rangers)
11. Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba)
12. Ndifreke Effiong (Abia Warriors FC)
13. Chukwuebuka Iroha (Diamond FC)
14. Austine Oladapo (FC IfeanyiUbah)
15. Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC)
16. Stanley Dimgba (Warri Wolves)
17. Semiu Liadi (Warri Wolves)
18. Godspower Effiong (Kano Pillars)
19. Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors)
20. Bright Onyeadikachi (FC IfeanyiUbah)
21. Prince Aggrey (Sunshine Stars)
22. Mustapha Abdullahi (SportLight FC)
23. Muritala Adamu (Kano Pillars)
24. Zaradeen Bello (Kano Pillars)
25. Dayo Ojo (Sunshine Stars)
26. Seun Olulayo (Sunshine Stars)
27. Tiongoli Tonbara (Bayelsa United)
28. Kufre Ebong (Warri Wolves)
29. Kingsley Eduwo (Sunshine Stars)
30. Stephen Eze (Sunshine Stars)
31. Anaezemba Nzube (Enyimba FC)
32. Charles Chukwudi (Plateau United)
33. Daniel Enmanson (Akwa United)
34. Ibrahim Alhassan (Hearts FC, Kano)
35. Adebayo Ajadi (36 Lions)

Foreign Pros Promise To Beat Flying Eagles Jan 15 Deadline

MUSA YAHAYA GOES FOR GOALS VS TANZANIA

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Musa Yahaya and Chidera Eze from Portuguese club FC Porto have promised to join up with the Flying Eagles squad by the January 15 deadline handed them.

“We have been following up on the release of the foreign pros called up for the African Youth Championship and so far the signals have been very encouraging,” said team secretary Auwal Aliyu Ibrahim.

“For instance, Musa Yahaya is off to Malaysia for an invitational tournament with the Spurs youth team and he has called to say he will join us as soon as he returns.

“Chidera Eze has also assured he will come in before the January 15 deadline set by the coach for all overseas-based players to report to the training camp in Kaduna.”

Sweden-based Taiwo Awoniyi and Musa Muhammed are so far the only pros now training with the AYC-bound squad.

The other foreign pros called up include Moses Simon, Kingsley Madu, Isaac Success, Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali.

Flying Eagles

…Flying Eagles celebrate New Year’s day with endurance drill

The Flying Eagles will open 2015 with an endurance drill in the morning of New Year’s day.

“We will begin 2015 with hard work,” said Flying Eagles assistant coach Nduka Ugbade.

“There is still a lot of work to be done before our first match at the AYC and so we cannot afford to relax even for a day.

“All celebrations therefore have to be put on hold until we have met some of our targets.

“Our New Year’s day will be when we would have qualified for the World Cup in New Zealand.”

The African Continental Hotel in Kaduna, which has severally been home to the Nigeria U20s, plans a special treat for the squad thereafter.

Flying Eagles Call Up 9 Pros, 21 Others

Nigeria U20 team, the Flying Eagles, have called up nine foreign-based professionals and 21 other players based locally for a training camp in Kaduna from Saturday.

This followed a screening exercise earlier this month also in Kaduna.

The pros include Granada CF striker Isaac Success, Taiwo Awoniyi from Kalmar of Sweden as well as Manchester City pair of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali.

The Flying Eagles have been drawn in a tough Group A of the 2015 African Youth Championship along with hosts Senegal, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire.

They open their AYC campaign on March 8 against Senegal in Dakar.

They then battle Congo On March 11, before their final group game against Cote d’Ivoire on March 14 in M’bour, which is 80 kilometres south of Dakar.

Flying Eagles

The full squad:

Goalkeepers:Joshua Enaholo, Dele Alampasu, Olorunleke Ojo, Adamu Abubakar

Defenders: Kingsley Madu, Musa Muhammed, Mustapha Abdullahi, Wilfred Ndidi, Zaharadeen Bello, Prince Izu Omego

Midfielders: Ifeanyi Matthew, Akinjide Idowu, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Obinna Nwobodo, Kingsley Sokari, Abdullahi Alfa, Chidiebere Nwakali

Forwards:Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Kelechi Iheanacho, Usman Hassan, Alhassan Ibrahim, Sulaiman Abdullahi, Abubakar Lawal, Bernard Bulbwa, Chidera Eze, Billy Auta, Musa Yahaya, Moses Simon, Wasiu Jimoh

Flying Eagles Stop Ace Academy 3-0

Nigeria’s U20 team, the Flying Eagles, defeated Ace Academy of Kaduna 3-0 on Wednesday in continuation of their preparation for next year’s African Youth Championship in Senegal.

Striker Billy Auta, who scored four goals in a 12-0 spanking of Standard FC of Zaria last week, opened scoring for the Flying Eagles mid-way into the first half.

MUSA YAHAYA GOES FOR GOALS VS TANZANIA

Leftback Mustapha Abdullahi then netted a brace in the second half.

Ace Academy gave a good account of themselves in a keenly contested match, but again they fell to a more focused and organised opposition.

Flying Eagles goalkeeper Abdallah Sulaiman from Dabo Babes of Kano saved a penalty late on in the game after two-goal hero Abdullahi fouled a goal-bound Ace player.

The Junior Eagles will also play against Highlanders of Kaduna on Friday before going on a week’s break for the Christmas holidays.

Flying Eagles

The team will resume training camp in Kaduna on December 27 with the foreign-based professionals they called up recently joining up.

The pros will be led by the likes of Manchester City starlets Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali and Isaac Success.

SAMM AUDU,

Flying Eagles Call Up 9 Foreign-Based Pros

The Flying Eagles have invited nine foreign-based professionals including Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success ahead of next year’s African Youth Championship in Senegal.

Iheanacho is on the books of English Premier League champions Manchester City, while Success has already broken into the first team at Spanish La Liga side Granada CF.

The other invited pros are Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City/England), Taiwo Awoniyi (Kalmar/Sweden), Chidera Eze (FC Porto/Portugal), Daddy Moses, Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin/Slovakia), Musa Yahaya (Tottenham Hotspur/England) and Musa Muhammed.

Kelechi Iheanacho

According to coach Manu Garba, the players are expected to join up with the Flying Eagles when the team’s training camp reopens in Kaduna on December 27.

He also said he has received assurances for the release of the players by their clubs.

The AYC will kick off on March 8 in Dakar, Senegal.

The eight-team tournament will produce Africa’s four representatives to the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand.

Manu closes door on Isaac Success

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has ruled out Granada striker Isaac Success from Saturday’s African Youth Championship qualifier against Tanzania in Kaduna.

Success was due to join the team on Tuesday as he promised, but he is still being held back by his La Liga club and will now only fly out to Nigeria on Friday for his holidays.

“I spoke to the player and after our discussion it was best he does not feature on Saturday for us,” Manu disclosed.

“However, he could come around to cheer his fellow teammates from the stands.”

Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles trained Thursday morning at match venue Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.

The entire squad was drilled on ball work, set pieces and penalties.

They will round up their preparation for the AYC qualifier on Friday morning at the same venue.

Saturday’s opponents Ngorongoro Heroes of Tanzania are due in Kaduna Thursday afternoon after they stopped over in Lagos the previous day.

The Tanzanians, who lost the first leg 2-0 in Dar es Salaam, trained in Denmark ahead of this weekend’s encounter.

World Cup-winning Eaglets beg again over house gifts, As Isaac Success Jets in on Tuesday…

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World Cup-winning Eaglets Musa Muhammed and Zaharadeen Bello have again begged the Kano State Government to redeem a promise of a house gift made to them five months ago.

Muhammed and Bello were promised a house each by Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso for being part of the Nigeria team who made history by winning a record fourth U17 FIFA World Cup in November in the United Arab Emirates.

“We are still waiting for our houses many months after the Governor promised us,” said inspirational ex-Eaglets skipper Muhammed, who is now the Flying Eagles captain.

“We received the papers for the house and even keys but since that presentation, we have not been contacted by any official as regards what next.”

“We are most grateful to the Governor for this gift, but to be honest the waiting is really killing. We are very anxious and so too our families,” added defender Zaharadeen.

“We therefore appeal to the government to please see to it that we can move into the houses soon.”

Cash gifts made to the rest of the Eaglets players and officials have also yet to be redeemed.

Governor Kwankwaso’s special adviser on sports Gara Gombe has insisted that due process must be followed for the promises to be redeemed.

Isaac Success in Tuesday

Isaac success has said he hopes to joins the Flying Eagles training camp in Kaduna ahead of an AYC qualifier latest on Tuesday.

“I hope I could join the squad latest on Tuesday,” the Granada striker said from his Spanish base at the weekend.

“I have been in touch with the coaches and I’m looking forward to reuniting with the team.”

Granada have held on to the highly promising in their fight for survival in La Liga.

The Flying Eagles beat Ngorongoro Heroes of Tanzania 2-0 in Dar es Salaam in a second round, first leg AYC qualifier.

The return match will be played in Kaduna on Saturday, May 24.

Isaac Success joins up with Flying Eagles

Granada CF striker Isaac Success is expected to fortify the Flying Eagles strike force when he joins up next week.

Team secretary Auwal Aliyu Ibrahim said a formal contact will again be made to Success’ Spanish La Liga club in this respect.

“Coach Manu has asked that Success join the rest of the squad in Kaduna as soon as he arrives Nigeria on holidays,” Aliyu Ibrahim said.

Granada did not respond to earlier contacts for the player to be released in time for the Flying Eagles African Youth Championship second round, first leg qualifier in Tanzania.

It is believed that this was because the big striker was very much part of their plans to beat relegation from La Liga.

He was an unused substitute for two of the club’s league games.

Granada are still in danger of relegation as they are just two points clear of the drop zone and they face second from beat Real Valladolid away in a final game on Sunday.

A win for Valladolid could well see Granada sucked into the drop zone.

FC Porto forward Chidera Eze, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, as well as Bernard Bulbwa, Abubakar Lawal and Ifeanyi Nweke are the other players to join the 18-man squad from the first leg in Tanzania.

The return leg match is fixed for May 24 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.

Manu: I will be disappointed not to beat Morocco

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has said he will be “highly disappointed” were his team not to beat Morocco in Casablanca in a second friendly on Friday.

Both teams played out a 2-2 draw in the first match played in Rabat on Wednesday.

They are both preparing for 2015 African Youth Championship qualifiers early next month.

“I will be highly disappointed if we didn’t win the second match as this will help team confidence,” said Manu.

“This is a team who want to win always and so I expect us to improve on what we did on Wednesday by converting our chances and correct our mistakes.

“We need to improve on our goal scoring and also work on our defence.

“We are also yet to hit peak form because most of these players have not been in action for some time now.”

The Flying Eagles coach added: “Overall it was not a bad match being our first top friendly since we assembled this team.

“Some of the players lacked confidence and at this level we have to dominate.

“What gave me the biggest satisfaction was that we created so many chances and had we buried them, we would have been talking a different story now.

“It was most helpful for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to have organised these matches for us and I believe if we could get another two such games, we would be a lot more stable as a team.”

The U17 World Cup-winning coach will also praise the character of the Junior Atlas Lions of Morocco.

“They showed great character by coming back twice against us. They passed the ball very well and did not hold on to it for too long,” he said.

“This is a team who will go places going by what we saw.”

The second friendly will now be played by 4pm local time, which is same time with Nigeria, in Casablanca.

Meanwhile, all the foreign-based call-ups bar Isaac Success and Dele Alampasu have joined the rest of the squad left behind in Abuja.

The players are skipper Musa Muhammed, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali and Chidera Eze.

Granada yet to confirm Isaac Success release

Spanish La Liga club Granada are yet to confirm when they will release striker Isaac Success for a training camp ahead of next month’s AYC qualifier.

“We are still waiting a confirmation from Granada for the player,” said team secretary Aliyu Auwal Ibrahim.

Also, there has been no feedback on the availability of goalkeeper Dele Alampasu, who has been on trials at Belgian club Genk.

Unconfirmed reports had suggested the Abuja College goalkeeper may have suffered a long-term injury while on trials in Belgium.

The Flying Eagles rounded up their training for Wednesday’s friendly against their Moroccan counterparts Tuesday morning.

Set plays were emphasised during the one and a half hour workout on a warm and sunny day.

Ifeanyi Matthew, Musa Yahaya and Alhassan Ibrahim aka ‘Mu-azam’ proved to be great free kick specialists as they bent their kicks past goalkeeper Emeka Nwabulu.

‘Mu-azam’ will win a $100 bet with assistant coach Nduka Ugbade, when he curled his effort round a packed defensive wall for his second goal in the interesting exercise.

Morocco U20s will line up a wholly home-based side with several players from last year’s African U17 team promoted, same as the current Flying Eagles.

The Flying Eagles will depart their training base outside Casablanca immediately after breakfast on Wednesday for Rabat, where the match will be played.

The match will kick off at 4pm local time, which is same time with Nigeria.

Flying Eagles pick Iheanacho, Isaac Success

Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success have been named in a 35-man provisional squad expected to reconvene on Sunday ahead of a 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier.

Iheanacho is on the books of Manchester City, while Success has just recently teamed up with Granada CF in Spain.

Several other overseas-based players including Musa Muhammed (Besiktas,Turkey), Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City, England), Chidera Eze (FC Porto, Portugal), Musa Yahaya (Celta Vigo, Spain) and Sunday Alampasu, who is undergoing trials in Belgium, are also picked.

The squad is made up of the bulk of the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup-winning squad.

The full squad:

Goalkeepers: Sunday Alampasu, Adamu Abubakar, Abdulazeez Abubakar, Zaharadden Mohammed

Defenders: Samuel Okon, Aliyu Abubakar, Wilfred Ndidi, Prince Izu Omego, Timothy Danladi,Ifeanyi Nweke, Mazadu Sirajo, Mustapha Abdullahi, Musa Muhammed, Zaharaddeen Bello

Midfielders: Abdullahi Alfa, Akinjide Idowu,Ifeanyi Matthew, Mathias Samuel, Fedelix Irene, Uche Okeke, Chidiebere Nwakali

Strikers: Taiwo Awoniyi, Alhassan Ibrahim, Bernard Bulbwa,Suleiman Abdullahi, Billy Auta, Abubakar Lawal, Wasiu Jimoh, Anthony Omaka,Umar Ahmed, Kelechi Iheanacho, Isaac Success, Musa Yahaya, Chidera Eze, Victory Omodiagbe