MUSA YAHAYA, CHIDERA EZE CONFIRM FLYING EAGLES ARRIVALS

Tottenham Hotspur youth team forward Musa Yahaya and Chidera Eze, who features for the youth team of FC Porto, have confirmed their arrival dates to the training camp of the Nigeria U20 team, the Flying Eagles.

According to Flying Eagles team secretary Auwal Aliyu Ibrahim, Musa has said he will join the team by January 16 after he would have finished playing in an invitational tournament in Malaysia involving Tottenham youth team.

Chidera Eze, on the other hand, said he will join the team’s Kaduna training camp on January 15.

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has given a January 15 deadline for all invited foreign-based professionals to join the squad.

MUSA YAHAYA GOES FOR GOALS VS TANZANIA

Aliyu Ibrahim further disclosed he expects to get confirmation for the arrival of Manchester City pair of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali as well as Slovakia-based Moses Simon and Kingsley Madu later this week.

The Nigeria U20s are slated to feature in an expanded Super 4 tournament that will include Nigeria U23 team, league champions Kano Pillars as well as Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins.

The Super 4 is expected to begin on January 22 in Abuja.

They are then expected to depart for an overseas training camp ahead of the 2015 African Youth Championship, which kicks off in Senegal on March 8.

The Flying Eagles are drawn in Group A along with the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo.

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 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.