Niger 2019: Aigbogun names squad for Burundi kick off

 

Coach of Nigeria’s Under 20 team Paul Aigbogun is finally set to begin campaign in the 2019 Under 20 Nations cup holding in Niger, after releasing his 21-man squad Wednesday.

The squad includes captain Ikouwem Udo Utin, who won a silver medal at the African Nations Championship in Morocco last year, as well as highly-rated forwards Yahaya Nazifi and Effiom Maxwell. Also included are foreign base trio of

Igoh Ogbu of Rosenborg, Afeez Aremu of IK Stat FC, and Nazifi, who recently signed contract with Danish club Sonderjyske.

Nigeria has been drawn in Group A of the competition, which runs from February 2 to 17. The team will open hostilities   against Burundi on February 2, followed by games against hosts Niger and South Africa on February 5 and 8 respectively.

Group B is made up of Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, as well as secure qualification for the U-20 World Cup to be held in Poland in May.

Nigeria has won the U-20 AFCON a record seven times: 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Akpan Udoh (Unattached); Olawale Oremade (Oasis FC); Detan Ogundare (Kogi United).

Defenders: Mike Zaruma (Plateau United); Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba International); Igoh Ogbu (Rosenburg FC, Norway); Solomon

Ogberahwe (El-Kanemi Warriors); Valentine Ozornwafor (Enyimba International); Olasunkanmi Aliyu (Emmanuel Amuneke Academy).

Midfielders: Peter Eletu (Prince Kazeem Academy); Quadri Liameed (36 Lions); Aniekeme Okon (Akwa United); Jamil Muhammad (Kano Pillars); Afeez Aremu (IK Stat, Norway).

Forwards: Adamu Alhassan (Kano Pillars); Yahaya Nazifi (Sonderjyske FC, Denmark); Ibrahim Aliyu (Oasis FC); Adeshina Gata (Wikki Tourists); Ibrahim Abubakar (Plateau United); Okoh Victor (Real Sapphire FC); Maxwell Effiom (Enyimba International).