Nigeria Sports Arena

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has said he hopes for a convincing win over hosts Senegal in Sunday’s opening match at the 2015 AYC in Dakar. “We want to win convincingly because in any tournament your opening match is very crucial. It will boost your confidence,” said Manu. “With the U17s (2013 CAF U17 Championship), we started very well by beating Ghana 6-1 before we went all the way to the final. “We also trounced Mexico 5-1 in our opening match at the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup and then went on to win the tournament. “This is how we wish to start the competition in Senegal, even though we respect and do not underrate our opponents, who will be playing at home in front of their fans.” The coach added: “We want to win all our matches and by implication it means we want to be champions in Senegal and go to the World Cup in New Zealand as African champions.” The Flying Eagles will be one of the youngest squads at this year’s...

Nigeria’s U-20 Boys’ Team, Flying Eagles, arrived in Dakar, capital of Senegal in the early hours of Thursday for the 19th African Youth Championship, after flying through Banjul, The Gambia. A contingent of 21 players and 10 officials touched down at the Dakar International Airport at 3am Senegal time and was immediately ferried to the Alafifa Hotel. The team will move into Hotel Ngor Diarama, the official accommodation, on Friday. The six-time champions lock horns with hosts Senegal in the opening match of the tournament at the Stade Leopold Senghor, Dakar on Sunday evening. Nigeria will also play Congo-Brazzaville and Cote d’Ivoire in Group A. Ghana, Mali, South Africa and Zambia are in Group B, with their matches to hold at the Stade Caroline Faye in M’Bour, 50 kilometres outside Dakar.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have tasked the Flying Eagles to win the 2015 AYC in Senegal.   NFF deputy secretary general Emmanuel Ikpeme told the Senegal-bound Flying Eagles at their Serob Legacy Hotel in Wuye, Abuja, Wednesday that the entire country is looking up to them to win the continent’s U20 championship in Senegal. “On behalf of the president of the NFF, I wish to congratulate the players who made the final squad to the AYC in Senegal,” began Ikpeme in a very passionate address to the team. “The President is particularly delighted that the bulk of the squad to Senegal are from the team who won the U17 World Cup two years ago. “The target to the team therefore is for the team to win the AYC and confirm that winning the U17 World Cup was not a fluke. He added: “Your first match will be against the hosts country Senegal and do not expect it to be an easy match but we believe you are up to the task going by what you showed in...

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will depart for the African Youth Championship in Senegal on Wednesday, officials have announced.   The Flying Eagles secretary Aliyu Ibrahim Awal disclosed that the team will fly out of Abuja via Lagos and Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar. “We will leave Abuja Wednesday afternoon on our way to Dakar,” said the top team official. The team will begin their quest for the 2015 AYC on Sunday against hosts Senegal. Kick-off time is 5.30 pm Nigerian time at the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor in Dakar. They will also take on Congo March 11 and Cote d’Ivoire March 14. The final group game against the Ivorians will be played at the Stade Caroline Faye in M’bour, which is a short bus ride from Dakar and the base for Group B. The four semi-finalists at this tournament will represent Africa at the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand from May.   Flying Eagles final AYC squad: Goalkeepers: Joshua Enaholo, Sunday Alampasu...

  Manu Garba, the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup-winning coach, believes the Niger 2015-bound Golden Eaglets being managed by Coach Emmanuel Amuneke can go all the way at the 11th African cadet championship. Watching the new lads for the first time during Saturday's 2-0 win over Nigeria National League side, Sokoto United at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, Garba drew out some positives, advising Nigerians to rally behind the team's quest for glory in Niger. He said he has already hinted his predecessor on some technical tips, saying he was confident that the Amuneke-led team is also on the threshold of history with good preparations for their upcoming competitions. "It would be wrong to start comparing this present team with the one that won the World Cup," began Garba now tinkering with Flying Eagles. "I was particularly impressed by the two well planned goals. The team will surely qualify for the world Cup and with inclusion of other good players...

English Premier League champions Manchester City have informed Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) they will not release Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali for the 2015 African Youth Championship in March in Senegal. Both players were among nine foreign-based pros called up by the Flying Eagles for the AYC. They were given a Thursday deadline to join up with the country's U20s in their training camp in Kaduna. But in a mail signed by City scouting and recruitment operations manager, Fergal Harkin, the EPL side said Iheanacho is injured and may not be fit till mid-March, while Nwakali is about to be loaned out to a club in Europe. “With regards Kelechi Iheanacho, he is currently injured. We believe he will be fit around the middle of March but can keep in contract regarding his recovery,” read Tuesday’s mail in part.   “For Chidiebere Nwakali, we are currently in the process of agreeing his loan deal to Europe and he will not be available to meet u...