IK Start of Norway midfielder, Afeez Aremu has arrived at the youth national team, Flying Eagles’ camp, to boost the squad’s arsenal ahead of Saturday’s second leg clash against Mauritania in the African U20 Nations Cup qualifiers.
Both sides played out a pulsating 1-1 draw during the first leg penultimate weekend, and Flying Eagles coach, Paul Aigbogun is looking up to the former Akwa United of Uyo dazzler to help shore up his midfield during the second leg at Agege Stadium, Lagos.
The Mauritanian delegation flew into Lagos on Wednesday morning and will have the official training at Agege Stadium by 4pm on Friday.
Confederation of African Football has appointed Egyptian officials to take charge of the match, with Mahmoud Zakaria Mohamed El Banna as Referee.
He will work with compatriots Ahmed Taha Hossam (Assistant Referee 1), Hany Abdelfattah Mahmoud Elsnadidy (Assistant Referee 2) and Ahmed Mahrous Mahmoud Ahmed Hassan ElGhandour (Reserve Referee), while Sallieu Kamara from Sierra Leone will serve as match commissioner.
Aremu joined up with the Flying Eagles is on break before the new season, ahead of which the defensive midfielder turned up at the team’s Pearlwort Hotel camp in Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday.
Team administrator, Aliyu Lawal Ibrahim secured the fair-skinned freckle-faced player’s release on the condition that he flies back to Norway not later than this Sunday, July 22.
Aremu played for the home-based Eagles in the 2018 Championship of African Nations qualifiers and at the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations in Ghana, but travelled to start his career in Norway before CHAN 2018 in Morocco.
He is now seeking a return to national team spotlight on Saturday, beginning at 4pm, with the overall winners from the game advancing to the 2019 U20 AFCON in Niger Republic.
Nigeria have been champions of Africa at U20 level in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015, with Aremu now hoping to help the squad of 2018 add to those figures.
The 18-year-old is reaping rewards of the outstanding start to his career in the Norwegian Eliteserien, with 15 starts from a possible sixteen since the 2018 campaign commenced.
Aremu, who has netted four goals across all competitions this season, including a debut goal against Tromso in March, said he is happy to join the Flying Eagles and hopes to bring his impoact to bear on the team’s quality against Mauritania.
”I have enough qualities to bring to the team; I play as a defensive midfielder, at times I join the attack when I have the opportunity.
”I am not different from the players in camp, I was like them before I moved abroad, we are all the same family.
“Everybody has welcomed me well, I’m not carrying myself as a player that came from abroad. We will qualify for the Nations Cup.
”The Norwegian League is on break, they talked to our director and he permitted me to come to Nigeria for the Flying Eagles match.”
