Flying Eagles coach, Paul Aigbogun is keeping faith with several players from football academies accross the country, as he aims to win this year’s WAFU U-20 Cup of Nations in Lome, Togo.
In his squad announced on Wednesday, footballlive.ng can report that Aigbogun settled for ten players from clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and nine others from youth academies.
The former Warri Wolves and Enyimba coach, however, picked a single player picked from the lower division Nigeria National League (NNL) is his list of 20 for the tournament.
Nigeria are in Group B, where they start against Benin Republic this Sunday, then face Niger Republic and Ghana.
Aigbogun also retains seven players among those who helped him qualify for next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Niger Republic.
That class of reliable lads is led by team captain, Ikouwem Udoh Utin, as well as Valentine Ozornwafor, Aniekeme Okon, Adeshina Gata, Abubakar Ibrahim Babawo, Maxwell Effiom and Wasiu Alalade.
The full squad has three goalkeepers: Olawale Oremade, Matthew Yakubu and Oladeji Horlah, as well as five defenders: Ikouwem Udoh, Valentine Ozornwafor, Salawudeen Aliu, Ernest Governor and Osuji Chisom.
Also listed are four midfielders: Peter Eletu, Uche Onwuasonaya, Boniface Victor, and Chidiebere Ernest; as well as eight forwards: Wasiu Alalade, Abubakar Ibrahim Babawo, Usman Bashir, Solomon Thompson, Victor Arikpo, Adeshina Gata, Aniekeme Okon, and Maxwell Effiom.
