Flying Eagles Have First Training In Senegal

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have had their first training in Senegal ahead of their opening AYC clash against the host country.

The Nigeria U20 team trained Thursday evening at the Stade Iba Mar Diop in Dakar.

The training lasted an hour and a half and all 21 players trained fully.

The Flying Eagles will have a feel of the pitch at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar, venue of their opening AYC match against hosts Senegal, Friday evening by 4.30pm local time, which is 5.30 pm Nigerian time.

Flying Eagles at Thursday evening training in Dakar

Their last training before the Sunday showdown will be Saturday at the Stade Iba Mar Diop, which at a time was the country’s national stadium and is named after a foremost physician cum politician.

Team arrival meeting with CAF officials will be by 10am at the Junior Eagles Alafifa Hotel during which the players and officials will be given their accreditation as well as put through the competition guidelines.

Flying Eagles doctor Ozi Salami will also attend a seminar for the eight team doctors at the AYC Friday morning.

Chidera Ezeh To Miss Flying Eagles Second Match Against Black Satellites of Ghana

FC Porto forward Chidera Ezeh has been ruled out of the Flying Eagles second match against the Black Satellites of Ghana on Wednesday after he suffered a mild concussion in the first match.

Ezeh scored in a 2-2 draw with the Black Satellites on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium, but he had to be replaced soon after when he was involved in a head clash and suffered a mild concussion.

He was replaced for the second half by Wikki Tourists striker Usman Hassan.

“Chidera Ezeh is okay now but he will not be involved in the second game against Ghana after he suffered a mild concussion as a precautionary measure,” said Flying Eagles team doctor Ozi Salami.

Defender Zaharadeen Bello will also be rested to ensure he does not further hurt his leg injury.

The Flying Eagles second warm-up against their Ghanaian counterparts will be played in Tema, on the outskirts of Accra, by 3pm local time, which is 4pm Nigerian time.

Flying Eagles

The match will be played on astro turf.

Both the Flying Eagles and Black Satellites are preparing for next month’s African Youth Championship in Senegal.

The Flying Eagles are in Group A, while Ghana, world champions in 2009 and third at the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey, are in Group B.

Flying Eagles Defender Omego Out Of Danger, Undergoes Scan

Flying Eagles defender Prince Izu Omego is out of danger after a head injury in Monday’s Super 4 match against Pillars and will undergo a scan later on Tuesday.

“Izu is much better now. He will have a scan to further ascertain the extent of the injury,” said Flying Eagles team doctor, Ozi Salami.

The central defender was rushed to hospital late in the Pillars game after a flying boot crashed against his head, but he has since rejoined the rest of the Flying Eagles squad at the Serob Hotel in Wuye, Abuja.

The Flying Eagles are top of the expanded Super 4 with six points from two matches, same as Nigeria U23 team, but enjoy a better goals difference.

They take on Warri Wolves in their next game at the round-robin tournament on Wednesday.

Kick-off time is 1pm at the Abuja National Stadium.

FLYING EAGLES READY FOR TANZANIA, AS HOST CONFIRMS SUNDAY DATE…

FLYING EAGLES READY FOR TANZANIA ASSURES MANU GARBA

Flying Eagles are ready to fly Nigeria’s flag very high in this weekend’s 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier in Tanzania, according to a confident coach Manu Garba.

“We are fully ready for this match,” Manu said after his team’s intensive training session at the National Stadium in Lagos Tuesday morning.

“We respect our opponents, but we want to win in Tanzania so that the second leg in Nigeria will be a mere formality.

“We have very good information about Tanzania after the Nigeria Football Federation sent an official to spy on them last month. They like to play football and have a good recovery rate, but we will be equal to the task.”

He added: “We are a Nigerian team and so we have the character to withstand any situation. And we will again prove this in Tanzania.”

Last month, the Nigeria U20s played two test matches in Morocco, which they drew, and have also played against local clubs in Abuja ahead of this qualifier.

All 18 squad players are free of injury despite the bruising warm-up match against Benin Republic on Sunday in Cotonou.

Manchester City duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali impressed as second half substitutes in Benin and could well start against Tanzania.
Both players had struggled with fitness and injury when they joined up with the squad last month.

The Flying Eagles will depart Lagos by 1.35pm Wednesday for the seven-hour flight to Addis Ababa from where they will connect to Tanzania.

They are due back in Nigeria on Monday.

Tanzania confirm Sunday for AYC qualifier

Meanwhile Tanzania have confirmed that a 2015 African Youth Championship second round, first leg qualifier against Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will be staged on Sunday.

In an official correspondence by the Tanzania Football Federation dated May 6 and signed by general secretary Mwesigwa Selestine, the host federation apologised for shifting the game by a day “due to reasons beyond our reach”.

The match will be played at the 60,000-capacity National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, which has a natural grass pitch.

Kick-off time is 4pm local time, which is 2pm Nigerian time as they are two hours ahead.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have before now been kept in the dark about the match details.

Tanzania eliminated neigbours Kenya on penalties to reach the second round, while six-time African champions Nigeria drew bye into the second round.

Meanwhile, it was cheering news in the Flying Eagles camp when the wife of team doctor Ozi Salami gave birth to a bouncing baby girl on Monday.

It is the Salamis second daughter.