Manchester City starlet, Kelechi Iheanacho is expected to lead Nigeria’s under-20s to Senegal for the 2015 Africa Under-20 Championships.
Iheanacho will be joined by eight other overseas-based stars as coach Manu Garba looks to replicate the success he achieved with the current generation of Nigerian youngsters at under-17 level just over a year ago.
Success Isaac (Granada CF), Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City), Taiwo Awoniyi (Kalmar), Chidera Ezeh (FC Porto), Daddy Moses, Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin) and Musa Yahaya (Tottenham Hotspur) are also named in the team.
Garba revealed that the players are expected to join up with the Flying Eagles when the team’s training camp reopens in Kaduna on 27 December.
He also added that he had received assurances for the release of the players by their respective European clubs. The AYC will kick off on 8 March in Dakar, Senegal.
The eight-team tournament will produce Africa’s four representatives to the 2015 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the draw for African Under-20 Championships will be conducted on 21 December at the Caf headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
Hosts Senegal will be seeded to top Group A of the competition which will kick off on 8 March in Dakar with the final slated for 22 March.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, winners of the under-20 continental competition a record six times, will be one of eight finalists.
The Flying Eagles defeated Tanzania and walked over Lesotho to qualify for the tournament proper. They finished third at the last tournament hosted by Algeria.
Defending champions Egypt will not be at Senegal 2015 after they were eliminated by Congo Brazzaville.
Other finalists are Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, South Africa and Zambia.
The semi-finalists of the AYC will represent Africa at the 2015 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand from 30 May to 20 June. The draw for the World Cup will be done on 10 February, 2015. (supersport.com)
