The Flying Eagles are set to resume training in Abuja on Monday, March 10th, to prepare for the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The team, fresh from a two-match tour in Ivory Coast, where they had mixed results—a 2-0 win followed by a 2-0 loss—received a nine-day break upon their return from Abidjan. Captain Daniel Bameyi and Divine Oliseh scored in their victory.
The friendly matches against Ivory Coast were arranged after planned games against Egypt were cancelled. This cancellation stemmed from both Nigeria and Egypt being drawn into a challenging Group B for the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, alongside Morocco and South Africa.
The tournament, held in Ivory Coast from April 26th to May 18th, will see the top two teams from each group, plus the best two third-placed teams, advance to the quarter-finals.
The Flying Eagles entered the friendlies with confidence, having previously defeated the Young Elephants 2-1 at the WAFU B U-20 Championship in Togo last October, a victory that propelled them to the semi-finals, which they ultimately won.
Success at the upcoming U-20 AFCON is crucial, as the four semi-finalists will represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled from September 27th to October 19th.
