Amuneke begins open screening for flying Eagles’ camp

Flying Eagles’ Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, will from today till Saturday hold an open screening of potential players for the national U-20 team.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a statement yesterday said Amuneke opted for the three–day open screening to ensure he discovers quality players ahead of the team’s camping for a 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Burundi.

Burundi progressed to be eligible to square up with cup holders, Nigeria, after the Democratic Republic of Congo withdrew from the race.

The open screening will precede the arrival of a group of 30 players invited to a camp in Abuja on Monday.The statement by Team Secretary, Ibrahim Aliyu Lawal, said the 30 invited players will be camped at the Serob Legacy Hotel, in the Federal Capital Territory, ahead of the first leg of the fixture scheduled for Bujumbura on the weekend of May 20 to 22. The return leg will hold in Nigeria two weeks after.

In the group of invited players are some of the players who won the Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, including goalkeeper Akpan Udoh and attacking midfielders, Chukwudi Agor and Orji Okoronkwo.

Apart from Akpan Udoh, Chukwudi Agor and Orji Okoronkwo, other players listed for the camp are John Lazarus, David Enogela, Kingsley Michael, Funsho Bamgboye, Chinedu Madueke, Joel Osikel, Ejike Ikwu, Udochukwu Anumudu, Amos Benjamin, Osinachi Ebere, Chiaha Chisom, Suleiman Abdullahi, Kehinde Ayinde, Anas Mohammed, Douglas Uzama, and Ayodeji Bamidele.

Also in the list are Jack Ipalibo, Ernest Agenor, Najib Hamza, Johnson Umah, Chukwuebuka Okoroji, Gavi Thompson, Bright Etaghara, Samuel Obehi, Timothy Idoko, Abbas Usman and Yinusa Abdul.