FOOTBALL: Bosso picks 28 players for WAFU B tournament
Emmanuel Alfred
Ahead of this year’s WAFU B U20 Championship holding in Niger Republic, Nigeria’s contingent flew into Niamey, Capital of the country on Thursday, April 28, 2022 with the Nigeria Football Federation arranging two friendly matches in Niamey to put the team in premium shape and readiness for the competition.
Head Coach Ladan Bosso selected a team of 28 players who will compete against Ghana’s Black Satellites and the Young Etalons of Burkina Faso in Group B. Hosts Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire are in Group A.
The Flying Eagles, who have won the Championship seven times will confront familiar foes Ghana in their first match of the competition on Sunday, 8th May, before facing Burkina Faso three days later with both matches holding at the General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey.
Two teams will qualify into the semi finals from each group, with the two finalists getting the chance to represent the WAFU B zone at the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
Egypt will host the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations while Indonesia will host the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup finals. All four semi finalists from the tournament in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa in Indonesia.
FLYING EAGLES FOR WAFU B CHAMPIONSHIP:
Goalkeepers: Nathaniel Nwosu (Water FC); Chijioke Aniagboso (Giant Brillars); Saheed Jimoh (Adoration FC)
Defenders: Opeyemi Omooloyi (Akure City); Abubakar Babaji (Niger Tornadoes); Lekan Oyedele (Remo Stars); Oluwatosin Adegbite (Enyimba FC); Augustine Njoku (Abia Warriors); Chikezie Okolie (Giant Brillars); David Sholumade (Akwa United); Benjamin Frederick (ABS FC)
Midfielders: Anas Hassan (Vandrezzer FC); Daniel Daga (FC One Rocket); Oluwaseyi Falodun (Jossy United); Samson Lawal (Katsina United); Onuche Ogbelu (Fosla Academy); Muhammad Aminu (Gombe United); Muhammad Shehu (Katsina United); Frederick Godwin (City FC)
Forwards: Adams Olubi (FK Zalgris Vilnius, Lithuania); Tolulope Ojo (Remo Stars); Ibrahim Muhammad (Maikunkele FC); Ibrahim Yahaya (Gombe United); Rilwanu Haliru Sarki (Mahanaim FC); Divine Nwachukwu (Adoration FC); Ahmed Abdullahi (HB Academy); Abdullahi Adam (Nasarawa United); Albert Hilary (Plateau United)
The competition will kick off on May 7 – 20, 2022.
