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Tag: Flying Eagles

  • Egypt 2023: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Grab FIFA World Cup Ticket

    Egypt 2023: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Grab FIFA World Cup Ticket

    Nigeria reached the 23rd FIFA U20 World Cup finals on Thursday evening after defeating Uganda by a lone goal in Ismailia in the second quarter-final of the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

    Goalkeeper Chijioke Aniagboso, who has been huge for the Flying Eagles since taking over the sticks after the opening day defeat to Senegal in Cairo, captained in the absence of the suspended Daniel Bameyi, but was unfazed by the band and gave another assuring performance for the seven-time champions.

    As early as the 10th minute, he had to enact a reflex save to stop a bullet header from a corner kick.

    Both teams continued to frisk for opportunities with Nigeria’s Ibrahim Muhammad and Haliru Sarki probing deep but undone mostly by inaccurate passes and poor ball-holding in the final quarter.

    However, on the dot of half hour, Ibrahim Muhammad, who scored one of the goals that sank Mozambique on the final day of Group A attrition, latched onto a long ball from the defence, controlled well and fired. His effort saw the ball hit the upright, and in his confusion, defender Ibrahim Juma helped the ball into his own net for the only goal of the match.

    Muhammad should have made it two to purchase a cruise for Nigeria only four minutes after the restart, but he put too much power behind his turn and shot.

    On the hour mark and seven minutes after, Aniagboso saved point-blank efforts that sustained Nigeria’s lead, and in the 80th minute, Samson Lawal spun the ball away from goal from a 22 -yard free-kick.

    Victory earned Nigeria a slot in Monday’s semi-finals as well as a ticket to Indonesia. The Flying Eagles will take on the winner of the clash between Congo and Tunisia, happening at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday.

  • Egypt U-20: Flying Eagles hopeful of securing World Cup ticket today

    Egypt U-20: Flying Eagles hopeful of securing World Cup ticket today

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria will face the Hippos of Uganda today, in a quarter-final fixture at the 2023 U-20 AFCON at the ongoing tournament in Egypt.

    The winner of the match will automatically qualify for the World U-20 World Cup coming up in Indonesia in May 2023.

    The highly anticipated encounter is billed for the Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia. Kick-off is 6pm Nigerian time.

    The Flying Eagles will be looking to continue their unbeaten run in the competition following wins against hosts Egypt and Mozambique.

    Ladan Bosso’s side have recovered remarkably well from the 1-0 defeat to Egypt in their first game.

    The seven-time champions will be without reliable captain, Daniel Bamaiyi and Daniel Daga for this game.

    Bamaiyi is suspended for accumulation of cards, while Daja is still recovering from the injury he picked up in the game against Senegal.

    Uganda is unbeaten in the competition with one win and two draws from three group games.

  • AFCON U-20: My boys will beat Uganda – Flying Eagles coach, Ladan Bosso

    AFCON U-20: My boys will beat Uganda – Flying Eagles coach, Ladan Bosso

    As the Flying Eagles hope to grab a world cup ticket today in Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia, Egypt, the head coach, Ladan Bosso is confident his boys will thrash Uganda on Thursday.

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria have a date with the Hippotamus of Uganda on Thursday and the winner will grab a World Cup ticket to Indonesia 2023.

    Bosso’s side started the competition on a losing  note  after being pipped by the Junior Teranga lions of Senegal 1-0 at the opening game.

    However, the Flying Eagles made up for the loss with two quick wins against Egypt and Mozambigue in the competition to progress to the quarter-final stage.

    Their next game against Uganda will be more competitive with a place in the semi-final and a spot 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup at stake.

    Bosso stated that his players are working hard in training to ensure victory against Uganda.

    “We are aware that Nigerians are looking up to us to deliver. While our mission remains bagging the World Cup ticket, we are also eyeing the trophy, which is still a number of matches away,” Bosso told thenff.com.

    “For the moment, we have Uganda in our view and we are working hard to see that we control proceedings on Thursday.”

  • Egypt 2023: Bosso confident Flying Eagles will beat Uganda to grab World Cup ticket

    Egypt 2023: Bosso confident Flying Eagles will beat Uganda to grab World Cup ticket

    Coach Isah Ladan Bosso believes he has the men to push Uganda’s Hippos off the way in their Africa U20 Cup of Nations quarter-final duel on Thursday and reach the FIFA U20 World Cup finals scheduled for Indonesia, 20th May – 11th June.

    Both teams clash at the 22,000 -capacity Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia as from 7pm Egypt time (6pm Nigeria time) on Thursday, and the Flying Eagles’ tactician says that while he does not underrate the Hippos, he trusts his charges to make Nigeria proud and reach the tournament’s last four.

    “Before we left our training camp in Morocco, the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau told us clearly that the first objective should be getting a ticket to the FIFA World Cup. We are at that most important stage now and we cannot afford to falter.

    “We are aware that Nigerians are looking up to us to deliver. While our mission remains bagging the World Cup ticket, we are also eyeing the trophy, which is still a number of matches away. For the moment, we have Uganda in our view and we are working hard to see that we control proceedings on Thursday.”

    Two-time silver medallists and one-time bronze medallists Nigeria are seeking to make another appearance at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals. They finished in third place when the tournament was staged in then USSR in 1985, beating the host nation on penalty shoot-out in the bronze medal match. Four years later, in Saudi Arabia, the Flying Eagles lost 0-2 to Portugal in a classic Final in Riyadh. And in 2005, Lionel Messi and Argentina were 2-1 winners in the Final match in The Netherlands.

    The Hippos of Uganda finished top of their Group B which also included Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. They defeated Central African Republic 2-1, and drew 2-2 and 0-0 with Congo and South Sudan respectively. It took a drawing of lots by the Confederation of African Football to separate Uganda and Congo and determine the winner of Group B, as both teams finished with the same statistics.

    Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles will be without the services of team captain Daniel Bameyi due to accumulation of two yellow cards. The defender was cautioned twice in the group games against Senegal and Mozambique.

    In the other quarter-final games, nine-pointer The Gambia will take on fresh birds South Sudan, who shocked Central African Republic 1-0 and drew 0-0 with Uganda to finish in third place in Group B with four points. Their only defeat was a 1-2 reverse against Congo. The match will hold at the Haras El-Hedood Stadium in Alexandria on Friday.

    On Thursday, before the Flying Eagles take on Uganda in Ismailia, Group A winners Senegal will tango with Benin Republic at the Cairo International Stadium. The Young Cheetahs finished in third place in Group C with only two points having drawn with Zambia and Tunisia, but unlucky to concede an own goal two minutes to the end of their encounter with group winners The Gambia on Monday.

    The last quarter-final duel is between Congo and Tunisia, at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday evening. The North Africans pulled their weight to defeat Zambia 2-1 on Monday, after having lost 0-1 to The Gambia and drawing 0-0 with Benin Republic earlier in Group C.

    All four winners will advance to the semi-finals of the competition, but more importantly, qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Indonesia.

  • Egypt 2023: Peseiro thumbs up Flying Eagles after two rockets see off Mambas

    Egypt 2023: Peseiro thumbs up Flying Eagles after two rockets see off Mambas

    Super Eagles’ Head Coach José Santos Peseiro said he was impressed after scorching shots from the boots of forwards Samson Lawal and Ibrahim Muhammad gave Nigeria all three points and a deserved quarter-final ticket at the 23rd Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt on Saturday. Mozambique’s Young Mambas were the victims this time.

    Buoyed in spirit by the win over host nation Egypt on Wednesday that shipped their campaign back on track, the Flying Eagles played with commendable self-assurance and dominated large swathes of a game played under floodlights at an impressive facility in north-eastern Egypt.

    Ayuba Francis had failed to put enough purchase on his strikes in the 6th and 24th minutes on the turf of Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia, but Lawal, after receiving a pass from the nimble-footed Haliru Sarki, glided past two defenders before releasing a fierce shot that nestled safely in the net, beyond the groping arms of Kimiss Zavala in the 32nd minute.

    With five minutes to interval, Muhammad, who ran rings round the Mozambican rearguard a number of times, got into a vantage position for a lofty strike that flew past Zavala and found the top right corner for Nigeria’s second.

    In the second half, Nigeria’s safe hands Chijioke Aniagboso was his imperial self as he denied substitute Edson Mucuana from close range in the 55th minute. At the other end, another scorcher from Lawal rocked Zavala but he managed to parry it for a corner kick.

    In the 76th minute, substitute Adams Olamilekan failed to find the net after a sweet lay-on by Ahmed Abdullahi, and with three minutes to go, Aniagboso again came up big when Jose Rabelina Zavala thought he was in a position to reduce Mozambique’s deficit.

    Victory took the Flying Eagles to six points, and with Senegal pounding host nation Egypt 4-0 in Cairo, to finish top with maximum nine points from three matches, Nigeria finished a comfortable second and will play the winner of Group B (currently being contested by Congo and Uganda) in the quarter-finals on Thursday at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia.

  • U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles land in Ismaila for Mozambique clash

    U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles land in Ismaila for Mozambique clash

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have landed in the city of Ismaila for the last group A game against Mozambique at the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

    Ladan Bosso’s tutored side departed  Cairo for the one hour, 30 minutes  road trip to Ismaila on Friday.

    Saturday’s encounter will hold at the Suez Canal Stadium, Ismaila.

    The Flying Eagles occupy the second position in the group with three points from two games.

    A win or draw in the encounter will see the West Africans secure a place in the quarter-finals.

    The game will kick off at 6pm Nigeria time.

  • Egypt 2023: Flying Eagles seek redemption against Young Pharaohs

    Egypt 2023: Flying Eagles seek redemption against Young Pharaohs

    Flying Eagles will be gunning to get back on track in the ongoing Africa U20 Cup of Nations as they trade tackles with host nation Egypt on Matchday Day 2 on Wednesday at the Cairo International Stadium.

    The Nigeria U20 men’s team lost narrowly to the Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal 0-1 in the opening game on Sunday but still stands a chance of qualifying for the quarter-final stage of the competition.

    Coach Isah Ladan Bosso will likely be without midfielder Daniel Daga, who was substituted against Senegal due to injury he sustained during the encounter. The result of the scan examination expected later today will ascertain the extent of injury.

    Despite the loss in the opening game, the Flying Eagles are upbeat they can upset the host nation and put their campaign back on track, as a win will put the team in good stead to qualify for the last eight.

    The Flying Eagles boast of a rich pedigree in the competition with seven titles to their name while the Egyptians have won it four times.

    The Young Pharoahs’ game against Mozambique ended in stalemate on opening day and the host nation has only one point and will battle the Flying Eagles hard for the three points inside one of the biggest football arenas on the continent.

    Nigeria and Egypt last met in semi-final stage of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations with the Egyptians taking the day by two goals to nothing.

    Kick–off time for Wednesday’s game is 7pm local time (6pm Nigeria time). 

  • Egypt 2023: Senegal beat Flying Eagles 1-0 to top group A

    Egypt 2023: Senegal beat Flying Eagles 1-0 to top group A

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria started their campaign in the 2023 U-20 AFCON tourney on a shaky note after losing to the young Teranga Lions of Senegal by 1-0 in the match day one-second group A game at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt on Sunday evening.

    Ladan Bosso’s side had chances to open scoring early in the encounter but failed to take them. Senegal soon settled into the game and later scored a well-deserved goal in the 40th minute courtesy of CF Talavera striker, Souleymane Faye’s goal.

    Unfortunately, as the match progressed, the Nigerian side lost dazzling Midfielder, Daniel Daga to injury which may rule him out of the championship.

    On resumption of the second half of the game, Flying Eagles continued to mount pressure on their opponents but poor finishing by their strikers, Adams Olalekan, Rilwanu Sarki and Ibrahim Beji Mohammed denied them.

    While pushing for an equaliser, the Nigerians were reduced to 10 men with Ahmed Abdullahi’s sending off in the closing stages of the match.

    Libasse Ngom almost made it 2-0 for Senegal when he rounded Nwosu but his eventual shot came off the crossbar as two defenders frantically ran onto the goal line to clear the ball.

    Nigeria’s first shot on target came in the 88th minute from a long-range shot fired by Onuche Ogbelu but comfortably saved by Landing Badji.

    Senegal top group A with 3 points , while Egypt and Mozambique occupy the second and third position respectively after both teams played out a goaless draw in the competition’s opening game.

    The Nigerian U-20 side presently occupy the bottom of the log but still have a date with Egypt on Wednesday in the second game of group A.

     

     

  • Egypt 2023: Flying Eagles to face Senegal today in Cairo

    Egypt 2023: Flying Eagles to face Senegal today in Cairo

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria  will begin their campaign at the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations on Sunday (today) in Egypt.

    The Flying Eagles have won the tournament a record seven times and are now gunning for the eight title.

    The Eagles also came second twice in 1999 and 2007, while they claimed third position in 1995, 2005 and 2013…

    They are making a return to the competition after missing out two years ago in Mauritania.

    Ladan Bosso’s side are among the pre-tournament favourites having won the WAFU B U-20 championship in May last year in Niger Republic.

    The Nigerian boys are also unbeaten in their last 19 games with 18 wins and one draw.

    The Nigerian boys will face Senegal U-20 boys today in the second game of the tournament in Cairo, Today.

    The match kicks off by 6pm Nigerian time at the Cairo International Stadium.

    The Flying Eagles will take on hosts Egypt three days later in their second game.

    Their final group game is against Mozambique on February 25.

  • U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles land in Cairo, to play Senegal on Sunday

    U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles land in Cairo, to play Senegal on Sunday

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have landed in Cairo the capital of Egypt for the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations holding in the country.

    The players and their officials landed at the  Cairo International Airport on Thursday night after a 5hrs 30 minutes journey from Casablanca in Morocco where they went to acclimatize

    The team is based at the Jewel Sports City & Aqua Resorts.

    Ladan Bosso’s boys will observe their first training session later today.

    The 2023 U-20 AFCON will commence on Sunday with hosts Egypt taking on Mozambique in the competition’s opening game.

    The Flying Eagles will trade tackles with the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal on the same day.

    The competition will run from February 19 to March 11.