Amuneke rules out automatic shirts for Nwakali, Osimhen, as U-20 camp opens

Chief coach of the national U-20 team, Emmanuel Amuneke, has warned all the players invited to the Flying Eagles’ camp, including those that won the U-17 World Cup last year, that they must fight to earn spots in the team, which begins preparation for the African U-20 Championship qualifiers this month.

Amuneke told The Guardian yesterday that he would source for talented young footballers to qualify Nigeria for the U-20 Championship slated to hold in Zambia next year, adding that past exploits would count for nothing in the current dispensation.

The former U-17 coach promised to give every young Nigerian below 20 years the chance to fight for a place in the team without sentiments.

“The Flying Eagles camp will open this month for the African qualifiers for the U-20 African Championship. The players who won the U-17 World Cup will not get automatic shirts in the team; rather they would compete with other invited players to be in the squad.

“My vision is to raise a team that will stand the taste of time so that by the time the qualifiers begin, I would have raised a solid U-20 squad,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles have been drawn bye to the second round of the qualifiers for the African U-20 Championship.
The defending champions and seven-time winners will battle Congo, Malawi and Kenya in their quest to qualify for the tournament. Nigeria will start the journey in May against the winners in the first round clash between Burundi and DR Congo.

The Flying Eagles will play the second round first leg match away from home between May 20 and 22, while the return match at home will be staged in the weekend of June 10 and 12.

The winner of this second round clash will then be drawn against the winner of the ties involving Sudan against Kenya and Malawi.

The third and final round will be played in July.Zambia will host the U-20 Championship from February 26 to March 12, next year.