Emma Njoku
Coach Manu Garba has named his final 21-man Golden Eaglets’ squad that will represent Nigeria at the FIFA U17 World Cup billed to kick off in Brazil on Saturday next week.
The squad contains three goalkeepers, five defenders, eight midfielders and five strikers.
Two players of English Premier League clubs, goalkeeper Joseph Oluwabusola of Bournemouth and West Ham’s Daniel Jinadu top the squad list.
Golden Eaglets will face Hungary, Ecuador and Australia in Group B of the 2019 World Cup.
The Garba-tutored team will open their campaign against Hungary at the Estádio Olímpico, Goiânia, on Saturday next week before facing Ecuador at the same venue three days later. Their last match in the group stage will be against against Australia at Estádio Bezerrão, Brasília on November 1.
Nigeria has won the cadet world championship a record five times, the highest by any country in the history of the competition. The Golden Eaglets won the maiden edition of the tournament in China in 1985 and repeated the feat in Japan in 1993. The Nigerian team also won in 2007 in Korea Republic, 2013 in United Arab Emirates and 2015 in Chile.
Golden Eaglets’ final squad for the world cup
Goalkeepers (3): Sunday Stephen, Joseph Oluwabusola, Daniel Jinadu
Defenders ( 5): Usman Ibrahim, Clement Ikenna, Charles Etim, Quadri Edun, Oluwatimilehen Adeniyi
Midfielders (8): Samson Tijani, Francis Daniel, Akinkunmi Amoo, Peter Agba, Ibraheem Jabaar, Monsuru Opeyemi, Ojediran Hamzat, Said Ibrahim
Strikers (5): Wisdom Ubani, Olakunle Olusegun, Divine Nwachukwu, Olawale Peter, Abba Bichi