There is no going back on the January 15 deadline given to all invited foreign-based players to join the national Under-20 team, the Flying Eagles, in preparations for the African Youth Championship (AYC).
Chief Coach Manu Garba, in a chat with TheNiche in Lagos, noted that the team has no time to waste, hence the decision.
He said: “We don’t have enough time for preparations and we cannot wait for any player before we begin our training. That is why we are not going back on the January 15 deadline.
“By that time, we expect all the invited players to have been with us in camp, so that we can map out our strategies for a successful outing at the championship.
Already, Tottenham Hotspur youth team forward, Musa Yahaya, and Chidera Eze, who features for the youth team of FC Porto, have confirmed their arrival dates to the training camp.
According to the team’s secretary, Aliyu Ibrahim, the former promised to join the team by January 16 after he would have finished playing in an invitational tournament in Malaysia involving Tottenham youth team, while the latter promised to be in the team’s camp by January 15.
On the other hand, Manchester City pair of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali, as well as Slovakia-based Moses Simon and Kingsley Madu, are expected.
The 20th edition of the AYC is billed to hold in Senegal from March 8 to 22. The Flying Eagles are drawn in Group A alongside Cote d’Ivoire, Congo and hosts, Senegal. Ghana, South Africa, Mali and Zambia are in Group B.
The top four teams at the end of the championship will qualify for the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
The Flying Eagles qualified for the AYC after walking over Lesotho in a final qualifying match in Kaduna on Saturday, August 16, 2014.
Lesotho refused to turn up for the match after expressing concerns over the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) subsequently awarded the match to Nigeria and confirmed the country qualified for the AYC.
Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles has been slated to feature in an expanded Super Four tournament that will include the national Under-23 team, league champions, Kano Pillars, as well as Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins FC.
The tournament is expected to begin on Thursday, January 22, in Abuja and end on Sunday, January 25.
They are also expected to depart for an overseas training camp ahead of the 2015 AYC.
