Top Players Missing as Nigeria Unveils U-20 World Cup Team
Nigeria’s preparations for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup have faced setbacks following the withdrawal of several key players.
European clubs Stade Reims (France) and Hoffenheim (Germany) declined to release their Nigerian talents for the tournament, which falls outside FIFA’s official calendar, giving clubs the discretion to retain their players.
According to NAN, Hoffenheim duo Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin will miss the competition in Chile after the club rejected a request from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Stade Reims also withheld striker Ibrahim Hafiz, another promising prospect for the Flying Eagles.
In response, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has reshaped his squad, naming a final 21-man team that excludes several overseas-based players. Notably, Enyimba winger Clinton Jephta, Bidemi Amole, and Divine Oliseh. who featured in the U-20 WAFU B qualifiers in Togo, did not make the cut.
Team captain Daniel Bameyi leads the squad, which includes over ten players who participated in recent training camps and friendly matches. New additions to the team are Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, and Odinaka Okoro. Regular fullback Adamu Maigari was ruled out due to a knee injury.
The team departed Abuja for Chile on Sunday night, with Norway-based midfielder Daniel Daga expected to join them ahead of their opening match.
The Flying Eagles are determined to improve on past performances and mount a serious challenge for the title. The tournament kicks off on September 27 and concludes on October 20 in Chile.
Nigeria, having reached the finals in 1989 and 2005, is still in pursuit of its first FIFA U-20 World Cup crown. At the last edition in Argentina (2023), the team exited in the quarter-finals after a loss to Korea Republic.
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