Coach of the Nigeria U-20 national team, Manu Garba, has listed 21 players in his team’s squad for this month’s Fifa World Cup in New Zealand.
The trio of Kelechi Iheanacho- MVP 2013 Fifa U-17 World Cup, Granada CF’s Isaac Success and Taiwo Awoniyi, will lead the Flying Eagles’ attack as they bid to win the World Youth Championship for a first time.
Skipper Musa Muhammed, who led the country’s U-17 squad to a record fourth success at the world cadet cadre in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, is joined by Tottenham Hotspur’s Musa Yahaya, Genk defender Wilfred Ndidi, Izu Omego, and Belgium –based forward Moses Simon.
Enyimba FC midfielder, Kingsley Sokari, fellow ace, Ifeanyi Matthew of El-Kanemi Warriors, as well as Giwa FC goalkeeper, Olorunleke Ojo, are players from the Nigeria Professional Football League in the 21-man party.
Chidiebere Nwakali, one of the standout members of Nigeria’s squad to the U-17 World Cup, as well as midfielder Akinjide Idowu and inspiring goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo are also going to New Zealand.
Nigeria’s best ever performance at the U-20 World Cup are runners-up berth at the 1989 and 2005 finals.
African champion Nigeria will play her first match against Brazil in New Plymouth on the first day of June, before other Group E games against North Korea and Hungary in the same city.
The Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Joshua Enaholo (MFM FC); Dele Alampasu (Football College Academy); Olorunleke Ojo (Giwa FC)
Defenders: Musa Muhammed (FC Heart Academy); Mustapha Abdullahi (Spotlight FC); Zaharaddeen Bello (Dabo Babes Academy); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium); Izu Omego (Apapa Golden Stars); Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City, England)
Midfielders: Akinjide Idowu (Nigeria Young Academy); Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Water FC); Kingsley Sokari (Enyimba FC); Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Musa Yahaya (Tottenham FC, England); Bernard Bulbwa (Esperance ST, Tunisia); Godwin Saviour (FC Sports)
Forwards: Taiwo Awoniyi (Imperial Academy); Chidera Ezeh (FC Porto, Portugal); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Success Isaac (Granada FC, Spain)