Players, coaches and officials of Nigeria’s youth national team will have their attention focused fully on Poland this weekend, as they await the outcome of the FIFA U-20 World Cup draw.
Footballlive.ng reports that draw, which is scheduled to hold Sunday at Gdynia Sports Arena, will unfold Nigeria’s group phase opponents at this summer’s Youth Mundial in Poland.
There will be six groups of four teams each at the 24 nation global youth championship, with the top two teams at the end of the group phase, as well as the best four third placed teams, advancing to the Round of 16.
Ahead of Sunday’s draw, Nigeria have been slotted into Pot 2, alongside new African champions Mali, as well as New Zealand, Colombia, Korea Republic and Italy.
Hosts Poland, Portugal, Uruguay, France, USA and Mexico are in Pot 1, with Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Argentina, Ecuador, Ukraine and Honduras in Pot 3. Pot 4 has Japan, South Africa, Panama, Norway, Qatar and Tahiti.
Poland, which co-hosted the 2012 European Championship with Ukraine, will host this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup in seven cities – Lublin, Bielsko Biala, Tychy, Bydgoszcz, Gdynia and Lodz – from 23rd May to 15th June.
Paul Aigbogun’s wards finished outside the medals’ zone at the Africa U20 Cup of Nations that ended in Niger Republic on Sunday, following consecutive penalty shootout defeats to Mali and then South Africa.
However, with a place in the semi-finals, the seven-time African champions had already picked one of four spots available for Africa.
