Nigeria’s U-20 men’s national team, the Flying Eagles, have officially kicked off the decisive phase of their preparations for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, with training sessions underway at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.
Head coach Aliyu Zubairu is steering the camp as the squad transitions into what he described as “the most critical stage” of their three-phase buildup to the global showpiece, which begins on 27 September.
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Squad taking shape
Zubairu told journalists in Abuja that he is pleased with progress so far:
“We are at top gear now,” the coach declared.
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He confirmed that the team is working with a mix of home-based talent and foreign-based prospects, though club release remains a stumbling block.
“We have invited some players from abroad, Nigerian players abroad, some from within the country,” he explained.
“Even though the majority of those we invited from abroad have still not been allowed by their clubs to come, we are pushing with the ones on ground to make sure that we are heading towards having a very formidable and solid team for Nigeria U-20.”
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Spotlight on Stockbrink
One of the players drawing close attention in camp is David Stockbrink of Fortuna Sittard (Netherlands).
The midfielder, highly recommended to the technical crew, was initially invited for the U-20 AFCON earlier this year but missed out due to injury.
“We are still looking at him,” Zubairu said.
“Even though when we invited him for AFCON, it was based on some people’s recommendation. I’ve not seen him play. But some people recommended him, and I said okay, if he’s that good and they gave a recommendation on him, let him come. But while we were in Casablanca, he sustained an injury, and he couldn’t make the AFCON, even for preparation. But he’s here now. This is the first training, so we’ll continue to look at all of them.”
Building belief
Nigeria reached the U-20 AFCON final earlier this year, reinforcing their status as one of the continent’s heavyweights. For Zubairu, the ambition now is to carry that form onto the world stage.
“If we are able to pick our best, and if some of our best are allowed to come and join us, because we’ve been having setbacks with their clubs in Europe, but if we are able to get our best, our best legs, I believe Nigeria should be rest assured that this team is going to prove their worth,” he assured.
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Eyes on Chile
The 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be staged in Chile from 27 September, and the Flying Eagles; twice runners-up in the competition (1989, 2005), are once again expected to be among Africa’s flag bearers with a point to prove.
For Zubairu, the next few weeks in Abuja will determine whether his side travel to South America ready to dream big or risk falling short.
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