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[UPDATE] FIFA U-20 World Cup: Bosso invites clubless player for U-20 World Cup
The team has produced great names in the past. Sylvanus Okpala, Franklin Howard, Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Yisa Sofoluwe, Taju Disu, Samson Siasia, Etim Esin, Jonathan Akpoborie, Emmanuel Amunike, Tijjani Babangida, John Obi Mikel, Taye Taiwo to mention a few.
Against the backdrop of an unconvincing campaign in the 2023 Egypt U20 AFCON, the Nigeria Football Federation has drafted 12 foreign-based players to join the World Cup-bound Flying Eagles who are currently in camp.
In Egypt, the team struggled in the tournament and did not seem to possess the quality and fire power to excel at the world stage.
This informed the hasty call up of these 12 foreign based players, one of them (Olubi Adams Sirach is unattached) to beef up the squad and keep the home based players in the team on the edge as the final squad is expected to land in Argentina.
It is intriguing that Ladan Bosso who led the team to Chile 2007 U20 championship and failed was reappointed 11 years after to lead the same team to Argentina 2023.
Bosso was made famous for his racism allegation against England referee Howard Webb after Nigeria’s Under 20s lost to Chile at the quarter-final stage of the 2007 tournament.
He was dismissed after his 2009 Flying Eagles set finished third at the African Youth Championship in Rwanda with public complaints over his team’s lacklustre display.
This is the major reason stakeholders and fans of this team which has a robust history aren’t comfortable with the present team and Bosso in particular. They ask, is Bosso the only coach available to carry out this critical assignment?
Flying Eagles ruled Africa between 1983 and 1989. The team won silver at the Saudi ’89 FIFA U-20 World Cup and repeated the same feat in Holland 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The team has produced great names in the past. Sylvanus Okpala, Franklin Howard, Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Yisa Sofoluwe, Taju Disu, Samson Siasia, Etim Esin, Jonathan Akpoborie, Emmanuel Amunike, Tijjani Babangida, John Obi Mikel, Taye Taiwo to mention a few.
Can these 12 Apostles save Nigeria in Argentina? Will all make the final squad? Can they revive the good old days of this team? Will new stars emerge from these chosen 12?
