New Era Begins: Maikaba Opens Flying Eagles Camp with 35 Invitees

 

Maikaba invites 35 players to camp as Flying Eagles begin preparations for WAFU B tourney

Head Coach Abdu Maikaba has called 35 players to the camp of Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles, as the team begins a new life under the gaffer, and as preparations commence ahead of the WAFU B U20 Championship that Cote d’Ivoire will in the month of July.

 

In the list are three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 11 midfielders and 11 forwards.

 

All invited players are expected to report to camp in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Saturday, 16th May.

 

PLAYERS INVITED TO FLYING EAGLES’ CAMP FOR WAFU B U20 CHAMPIONSHIP:

 

Goalkeepers: Clinton Lawani (Sporting Lagos); Abubakar Rufai (NK-Istra 1961(Croatia); Uchechukwu Aloysius (Akwa United)  

Defenders: Ayinla Olayomi (Warri Wolves); Abubakar Aliyu (Wikki Tourists); Favour Nkwocha (Morak FC); Wahab Bolanle Musa (FC Malaga, Spain); Bonaventure Chiemela (Inter Lagos); Gamagira Umar Suleman (Ranchers Bees); Mathias Azi Yakubu (GBS); Mutari Momoh (NK-Istra 1961, Croatia); Abdulaziz Musa Ndaman (Mavlon FC); Godwin Samuel (Ikon Allah FC)   

Midfielders: Victor Samuel (Sporting Lagos); Oraro Apine (Warri Wolves); Sale Abdulrashid (Kryubar FC, Ukraine); Sa’ad Tijjani (Barau FC); Imran Ahmad (Kano Pillars); Peres Jerem (P Sports); Ayeni Samson (Stormers FC); Habila Simeon Sulai (GBS); Simon Karshe Cletus (FC Rijeka, Croatia); Auwalu Mohammed (Bichi First FC); Ibrahim Yakubu (Turbo Touch)

Forwards: Abba Dalli (Katsina United); Prince Columbus (Forster Academy); Goodluck Angel (P Sports); Imrana Mohammed (FC Alaves, Spain); Adamu Hussaini (Barau FC); Seun Akanji (Sporting Lagos); Shamsudeen Adamu Abdullahi (Capital City FC); Alex Leme (Sporting Lagos); Ezekiel Oguchukwu (Mavlon FC); Mus’ab Suleiman (Footwork FC); Peter Pam Davou (Vitkovice, Czech Republic)

Maikaba, Uwejamomere Name Backroom Staff As Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets Resume Camp

 

Maikaba, Uwejamomere Name Backroom Staff As Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets Resume Camp

 

Newly-appointed Head Coach of the U20 men national team, Abdu Maikaba has picked Coaches Ortega Deniran (first assistant), Abdullahi Biffo (second assistant) and Usman Mohammed (goalkeepers’ trainer) to work with him in building a new Flying Eagles’ squad that will make Nigeria proud.

 

Maikaba, who previously worked as assistant coach of two-time FIFA World Cup silver-medallists Flying Eagles, and also managed several of Nigeria’s leading clubs, made known his list on Thursday, just as his team is set to resume camp in Abuja on Sunday, 17th May, with preparations to begin in earnest for the upcoming WAFU B U20 Boys Championship that will take place in July.

 

The competition will serve as the qualification tournament for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations. The Flying Eagles are seven-time winners of the continental tournament.  

 

Similarly, the newly-appointed Head Coach of the U17 boys, Eboboritse Uwejamomere has picked Coaches Olumide Joseph Ajibolade (first assistant), Mohammed Kalli Kachala (second assistant) and Abdullahi Isa (goalkeepers’ trainer) to assist him in building a new Golden Eaglets’ squad that will not only return Nigeria to the FIFA U17 World Cup finals, but work assiduously towards a sixth global title.

 

This year’s WAFU B U17 Boys Championship will take place in September, and will serve as the qualification tournament for next year’s Africa U17 Cup of Nations.    

Falconets Land In Pot 2 For Poland 2026 As Germany Misses U20 World Cup For First Time

 

Poland 2026: Falconets’ Coach Aduku to attend World Cup draw in Łódź on Friday

. Falconets in Pot 2 as Germany misses out for the first time

 

Nigeria U20 women’s Head Coach Moses Aduku and Team Administrator Kelechi Omeke will be part of Friday’s much-anticipated draw ceremony for the 12th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals taking place at the EC1 Cultural Centre in the city of Łódź, Poland.

 

Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana and Tanzania emerged at the weekend as Africa’s four flag-bearers at the 24-nation tournament, set to be staged 5th – 27th September in the Polish cities of Łódź, Katowice, Sosnowiec and Bielsko-Biała.

 

All the 24 qualified teams have been drawn into four pots of six teams each, from which will emerge six groups of four teams each, as the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup final tournament continues to captivate the global audience.

 

Poland 2026 takes the excitement even higher with as many as six new debutants (hosts Poland, Portugal, New Caledonia, Ecuador, Tanzania and Benin Republic), while Germany, who edged Nigeria in the final matches of the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, will be missing for the first time ever.

 

Europe’s flag will be flown by hosts Poland, France, Italy, England, Portugal and Spain, while China, South Korea, Japan and North Korea represent Asia. North and Central America will have Mexico, USA and Costa Rica, with Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina and Colombia flying South America’s flag, and New Zealand and New Caledonia representing the Oceania region.

 

The Falconets, ever-present at the competition, have been drawn in Pot 2 alongside USA, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and New Zealand, while Ghana, making their eighth appearance, will be in Pot 3 with South Korea, England, Argentina, China and Italy.

 

Pot 1: Poland, Japan, Spain, North Korea, Brazil, France

Pot 2: USA, Nigeria, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand

Pot 3: South Korea, England, Ghana, Argentina, China, Italy

Pot 4: Portugal, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Benin Republic, Tanzania, New Caledonia   

Klinsmann, Zabaleta, Heath Named in FIFA’s 2026 World Cup Analysis Team

 

Klinsmann, Zabaleta, Heath Named in FIFA’s 2026 World Cup Analysis Team

Under the guidance of Arsène Wenger and led by Pascal Zuberbühler, the Technical Study Group will feature Otto Addo, Tobin Heath, Jürgen Klinsmann, Jayne Ludlow, Michael O’Neill, Gilberto Silva, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Paulo Wanchope, Aron Winter and Pablo Zabaleta

Team of experts to share more and deeper insights into all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches

For the first time in FIFA World Cup™ history, fans can also get real-time insights from the group

FIFA has unveiled the Technical Study Group (TSG) for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will provide cutting-edge analysis of all matches at the competition while increasing and developing the understanding of the game across the world.

Guided by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, the TSG consists of Otto Addo (Ghana), Tobin Heath (USA), Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), Jayne Ludlow (Wales), Michael O’Neill (Northern Ireland), Gilberto Silva (Brazil), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark), Paulo Wanchope (Costa Rica), Aron Winter (Netherlands) and Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina). The panel will be led by FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbühler and Lead of Football Performance Insights (FPI) Tom Gardner and supported by a team of football analysts, data engineers, data scientists and performance analysts based on-site in Miami and Dallas and off-site in Manchester (United Kingdom).

During the tournament, FIFA will share the most modern metrics and performance data in FIFA World Cup™ history with the worldwide TV and online audience, as well as with the participating teams and their players. Developed by FIFA’s FPI team and Mr Wenger, the Enhanced Football Intelligence service will offer new and exciting insights to enrich the coverage and analysis of every game at the tournament through a unique set of both in- and post-match visuals presented as augmented reality and traditional graphics.

“The Technical Study Group helps identify trends in the game, prepare future generations for football’s development and contribute to making the sport more exciting by highlighting the qualities players will need in the future,” said Mr Wenger.

“With an unprecedented level of high-quality data, the TSG will be able to describe, analyse and interpret what is happening on the pitch in a way that inspires both technical experts and football fans. We are not only collecting more data than before but also trying to strike the right balance between technical expertise and data. At the same time, we want to share our technical observations in real time during the tournament.”

The TSG will analyse all 104 matches at this year’s FIFA World Cup from a unique tactical position at the stadium or their dedicated performance suite in Miami. Either way, they will have access to six video angles and thousands of data points live during each match. The players crowned in the tournament awards will also be selected by the TSG members.

The home of the TSG is the FIFA Training Centre, an innovative platform that is available to players and coaches across the world. In a first for the FIFA World Cup, fans will also be able to get real-time insights from the TSG through the FIFA Training Centre social media accounts and YouTube channel.

About the TSG members

Otto Addo: earned 15 caps for Ghana as a player and has had two stints at the helm of the Ghanaian national team, from February to December 2022 and from March 2024 to March 2026.

Tobin Heath: won the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2015 and 2019 and Olympic gold medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 as a player with the USA.

Jürgen Klinsmann: tasted FIFA World Cup glory as a player with West Germany in 1990 and coached the Germany side that finished in third place on home soil in 2006.

Jayne Ludlow: amassed 61 caps for Wales as a player and subsequently coached them from 2014 to 2021 after moving into the dugout.

Michael O’Neill: played for Northern Ireland on 31 occasions. Currently in his second spell as his country’s national-team coach, having taken the reins again in 2022 after previously holding the position from 2011 to 2020.

Gilberto Silva: won the FIFA World Cup with Brazil in 2002 as part of a distinguished international career from 2001 to 2010; played 244 times for Arsenal.

Jon Dahl Tomasson: capped 112 times by Denmark and won the 2002-03 UEFA Champions League with AC Milan as a player. Has gone on to coach Blackburn Rovers and the Swedish national team, among others.

Paulo Wanchope: collected 73 caps for Costa Rica, whom he would later coach in 2014 and 2015, and has held several other managerial roles.

Aron Winter: part of the Netherlands’ UEFA EURO 1988-winning squad and has coached the likes of Toronto FC and Suriname.

Pablo Zabaleta: won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina at Beijing 2008 and played over 330 times for Manchester City. He is currently assistant coach for Albania.

Pascal Zuberbühler: capped 51 times by Switzerland, with whom he set a unique record at Germany 2006 as the only ever-present goalkeeper of a team to date to be knocked out of a FIFA World Cup without conceding a single goal. Currently serves as FIFA Senior Football Expert.

Falconets Survive Lilongwe Scare to Keep U20 World Cup Streak Alive

Nigeria qualify for FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026

 

Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, have officially punched their ticket to the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, after surviving a difficult afternoon in Lilongwe to emerge 3-2 aggregate winners over Malawi’s Young Scorchers.

 

Despite a narrow 1-2 defeat in the second leg on Saturday, the foundation laid in Ikenne seven days ago where an own goal by visiting defender Maureen Kenneth and a superb strike by Kindness Ifeanyi secured a 2-0 cushion, proved enough to sustain Nigeria’s proud record of never missing a World Cup final tournament at this level.

 

The hosts, backed by a vocal home crowd, wasted no time in testing Nigeria’s structural resolve. The Falconets found themselves behind early in the first half when a defensive mishap allowed a Malawian forward to nod home the opener and ignite belief in the home team’s comeback. Nigeria came close to responding with clinical precision. Kindness Ifeanyi, a constant threat on the right flank, delivered a tantalizing cross into the heart of the box. Favour Nkwocha met it with power, but her effort rattled the woodwork, denying the Falconets a vital equalizer. The Young Scorchers took their 1-0 advantage into recess.

 

Tension escalated in the 55th minute. Another uncharacteristic lapse in the Nigerian backline gifted the Young Scorchers their second goal of the afternoon. At 2-0 on the day and 2-2 on aggregate, the tie was on a knife-edge, and the Falconets’ impeccable qualification record was under genuine threat. With the match drifting towards a stalemate, Coach Moses Aduku turned to his bench for a spark.

 

It arrived in the 62nd minute via Precious Oscar. The substitute demonstrated elite pressing, pouncing on a Malawian defender who was caught dwelling on the ball. Oscar dispossessed her opponent and kept her composure to fire past the goalkeeper, restoring Nigeria’s aggregate lead and deflating the Lilongwe atmosphere.

 

Though the result marked a rare occasion where Aduku failed to mastermind an away victory, following dominant displays in Rwanda and Senegal earlier in the cycle, the ultimate objective was achieved. The Falconets managed the remaining minutes with professional grit to ensure that Nigeria’s flag will fly, as always, at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.

This year’s finals will be staged by Poland, 5th – 26th September.