Flying Eagles hit by withdrawals as final squad named for U-20 World Cup

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will head to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile without several key players after European clubs declined to release them for the tournament, Sport360NG reports.

French Ligue 1 side Stade Reims and Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim turned down Nigeria’s request to have their players available, citing the fact that the competition does not fall within FIFA’s official calendar.

As a result, Hoffenheim duo Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin, along with Stade Reims forward Ibrahim Hafiz, will all miss the global showpiece despite being regarded as important prospects for the team.

Head coach Aliyu Zubairu has had to make adjustments, unveiling a final 21-man squad that excludes a number of overseas-based stars. Among those omitted are Enyimba winger Clinton Jephta, Bidemi Amole and Divine Oliseh, who were part of the squad during the WAFU B qualifiers in Togo.

Captain Daniel Bameyi will lead the team, with more than ten players in the squad having featured in recent training camps and warm-up matches. New names such as Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana and Odinaka Okoro have been handed opportunities.

There was also a setback with dependable fullback Adamu Maigari ruled out through a knee injury.

The squad departed Abuja for Chile on Sunday night, while Norway-based midfielder Daniel Daga is expected to link up with the team in South America before their opening fixture.

The Flying Eagles are chasing their first-ever U-20 World Cup crown, having twice reached the final in 1989 and 2005. At the last edition in Argentina, they bowed out at the quarter-final stage to the Republic of Korea.

This year’s competition runs from September 27 to October 20.