NEW ZEALAND 2015: FLYING EAGLES PROSPECTS

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Flying Eagles team 2015

 With barely few weeks to the commencement of the FIFA U-20 world cup, New Zealand 2015, the flying Eagles will be hoping to beat previous records of been runners up in 1989 and 2005

The team, which is coached by Manu Garba and assisted by Nduka Ugbade have players that comprise those that won the 2013 edition of the FIFA U-17 championship

Interestingly, the team and the coaching crew were drafted to the U-20 immediately after they won the FIFA under 17 championships in the United Arab Emirates. The likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali, Sunday Alampasu, Isaac Success, Taiwo Awoniyi, Musa Yahaya to mention a few shown like a million stars in the week long competition

Recently, those players coupled with the coaching crew won the 20^th edition of the African Youth championships, AYC, hosted in Senegal between 8 to 22^nd of March. They were grouped with host Senegal, Ivory Coast and Congo in group A

They defeated Senegal 1-3 in their first group game where Taiwo Awoniyi’s brace and Ifeanyi Matthew’s first half goals secured all three points for the 7 times African champions

However after three games, the Flying Eagles booked a world cup ticket having won two and drew one, with seven points scaling through the semi-final with a convincing 2-0 win over Ghana at the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor in Dakar

Then they were to play a re-match with host Senegal in the final after they dispatched group B winners Mali through the skin of their teeth 2-1 it ended

The Flying Eagles became favourites to lift their unprecendented 7^th African Youth championship squaring it up against the young Teranga lions

Flying Eagles piped Senegal’s hopes of winning their first title after Bernard Bulbwa 17 minute fantastic strike that earned him goal of the tournament, defending that lone goal till the end of hostilities

After the African Youth Championship, AYC, the flying Eagles was drowned in group E alongside host New Zealand, Brazil, North Korea and Hungary

The world youth championship will begin May 31 and the star studded Flying Eagles are hoping to replicate what former world champions Ghana did in 2009 becoming the first African country to win the FIFA U-20 world Cup

Apart from Joshua Enaholo, Sunday Alampasu, Olorunleke Ojo, Musa Muhamed, Zaharadeen Bello, Izu Omego, Mustapha Abdullahi, Samuel Okon, Abdulganiyu Saheed, Ifeanyi Matthew, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Akinjide Idowu, Obinna Nwobodo, Bernard Bulbwa, Abdullah Alfa, Taiwo Awoniyi, Christian Pyagbara, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Alhassan Muazam, Usman Hassan, Chidera Ezeh and Wasiu Jimoh that made the AYC, other likely inclusion before the world cup are: Issac Success, Uche Agbo, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Musa Yahaya, Chidiebere Nwakali and Kingsley Madu.

The team is camping in Nurnberg, Germany where Coach Manu Garba will select his final 21 man list from the pool of players mentioned above.

Their pedigree in the previous competitions had been topsy-turvy coming runners up in twice and fail to qualify for the quarter-final on two occasions as well

Having conquered the African tournament, so much more is expected from them with the quality of players and technical crew, all eyes are fixed on whether they will finally win one of the few international trophies that is been eluded in the cabinets of the Nigerian Football Federation which is the FIFA U-20 world cup

Speaking with former coach of the Flying Eagles, Joe Erico , he said that the team is the best the country has ever produced, better than the 2005 squad

“I think this current team is blessed and the Nigerian Football Federation has been getting things done for us”

Let’s not forget that it is an age grade competition that serves as a developmental platform for players to grow and Nigeria wants to win everything which is possible”

With the bundle of talents and experience from the coaching crew, I think the prospects of this team should be truly made manifest at the world cup. I’ am tipping them to win this tournament,” he said.

Meanwhile, the teams assistant coach Nduka Ugbade said that he thank God that they qualified for this stage having put all their effort into it

“We are going to the competition as African champions and the team is ready to fire on all cylinders just to prove to the world that they are the best”

Our target is to win the tournament but that can only happen when we prepare very well, all we need to do is remain focused and approach each game the same way”

The flying eagles opening game will be against Brazil.

....written by Sam Paul