2025 U-20 AFCON: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles set for double friendly against Egypt

Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, are gearing up for a crucial two-match friendly against Egypt in preparation for the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Head coach Aliyu Zubairu has invited 30 players to the team’s training camp in Abuja as they intensify their buildup for the tournament.

Team Administrator Aliyu Lawal Ibrahim confirmed to thenff.com that the seven-time African champions will face their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo on 25 and 27 February.

The friendlies will serve as key preparatory matches as the team fine-tunes its squad and tactics ahead of the continental competition.

The 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations is scheduled in Côte d’Ivoire from 26 April to 18 May.

The top four teams from the tournament will secure qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, set to be held from 27 September to 19 October.

The Flying Eagles earned their place at the AFCON by winning the WAFU-B U-20 Championship in Lomé, Togo, in October 2024, defeating Ghana’s Black Satellites 3-1 in the final.

Nigeria’s rich history in youth football includes seven AFCON titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, and 2015) and two FIFA U-20 World Cup final appearances (1989 and 2005).

At the most recent FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, the Flying Eagles put up a strong performance, reaching the quarterfinals before a narrow extra-time defeat to South Korea ended their campaign.

Formidable test

Egypt is also a force to reckon with in this cadre of football. The North Africans boast four continental titles, won in 1981, 1991, 2003, and 2013.

With their last title coming over a decade ago, the Young Pharaohs are eager to get back to winning ways in Côte d’Ivoire and the friendly against Nigeria is one of the activities put in place to help that course.

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As the team prepares for upcoming friendlies and the road to AFCON 2025, Nigerian football fans will be eager to see how the squad performs under Coach Zubairu’s leadership.

Full list: Invited players for Egypt friendly

Goalkeepers: Ifeanyi Harcourt (Sporting Lagos); Light Emereonye (Diamond Academy); Abubakar Rufai (Mavlon FC)

Defenders: Adamu Maigari (El-Kanemi Warriors); Daniel Bameyi (Bayelsa United); Kenneth Igbokwe (Enugu Rangers); Haruna Aliyu (Wikki Tourists); Musa Ademu (Wireless FC); Shamsudeen Muhammad (Mavlon FC); Ibrahim Abdullahi; Shamsudeen Ishaq (Grassrunner FC); Steven Jolomi (Mavlon FC)

Midfielders: Raphael Oyebanji (Shuffle Select FC); Mohammed Ibrahim (Niger Tornadoes); Kizito Opara (Campus Academy); Alabi Sulaiman Jojo (El-Kanemi Warriors); Sulaiman Abubakar (Diamond Academy); Shafiu Adamu (Wikki Tourists); Cletus Simon (Mavlon FC)

Forwards: Bidemi Amole (Real Sapphire Academy); Clinton Japhet (Enyimba FC); Matthew Chukwusa (Morack Academy); Nasiru Salihu (El-Kanemi Warriors); Divine Olisha (Fostar Academy); Jerry Salami (Aspire Academy); Oluwaseyi Akinfenwa (Real Sapphire Academy); Shola Adelami (Ikorodu City); Abdulrahman Ishaq (Sport Supply Academy); Ezekiel Anthony (Aspire Academy); Sodiq Olalekan Adewunmi (Jaguar Sports FC)