Nigeria unveils U-17 World Cup Eaglets

By Ifeanyi Ibeh

Finally, the wait is over. Nigeria's mystery Eaglets have be unveiled after months of foot-dragging by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

On Thursday, Golden Eaglets coach, John Obuh, named his 21-man team for the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup, which gets underway in Abuja on October 24.

The 21 players were picked from the 30 that left on a training tour of Qatar two weeks ago and they will be flying into Lagos on Friday afternoon.

The selected players are: goalkeepers John Felagha, Amos Izuchukwu and Danjuma Paul as well as defenders Mohammed Aliyu, Fortune Chukwudi, Chukwujike Mgbam, Aigbe Oliha and Kenneth Omeruo.

Six midfielders - White George Agwuocha, Abduljelil Ajagun, Ramon Azeez, Deji Joel, Ogenyi Onazi and Obinna Okoro - also made the team, along with seven strikers, Edafe Egbedi, Sani Emmanuel, Terry Envoh, Olanrewaju Kayode, Omoh Ojabu, Yusuf Otubanjo and Stanley Okoro of the Champions League finalists, Heartland FC.

In Qatar, the Eaglets were camped at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence and won all three tune-up games they played with comfortable goal margins, including an incredible 14-1 defeat of Qatari SC. But Obuh knows his side will be up against much stronger opposition in Nigeria 2009.

"I think we have a team that can deliver," said Obuh. "We played three friendly matches in Qatar and scored 21 goals, conceding three. However, we are not using those results to judge our readiness. We know we are going to play much stronger teams at the World Cup."

He said, "Our focus is first on the opening match against Germany (on Saturday, October 24)," he added. "It is going to be tough but football is about being prepared to play the tough games. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going."

Besides Germany, the Eaglets, defending champions of the tournament, will also come up against Honduras and Argentina in Group A

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Reader Comments (22)

Posted by Adeolu on Oct 16 2009

Lets see what the will unfold time will tell

Posted by Philip on Oct 16 2009

Like father like son.lets see what the son will offer since the father(super eagles) are not tryin at all.

Posted by david on Oct 16 2009

True talk, let see wat d son will do, since the father is not trying at all.

Posted by Umebiye Uche on Oct 16 2009

i wish them all the best of luck but don't blame them if they also refuse to fly, cos the older ones has failed therefore there should be room for forgiveness after all we don't have a framework where Academies are set up to harness skills and imbibe the needed tactical and technical skills where this players can inculcate and model themselves into fine players.

Posted by Izuchi on Oct 16 2009

Oh GOD!!!!!!! have mercy on us.our football is dying and we dont even have hope in the nearest future.

Posted by jeff on Oct 16 2009

we need deliverance in this country. when the head is sick, the whole body is affected, look at our government, sick, then banks follow, schools sick, hospitals sick, transportation sick, so don't expect more than a sick baby eagles. though i will watch the game for the fun of eat.

Posted by mato on Oct 16 2009

Thank God o at last.Let us keep on praying for them to excel.

Posted by jachi on Oct 16 2009

I just hope that our coach will not follow siasia"s footsteps all the same i wish them goodluck

Posted by Soji on Oct 17 2009

I don't expect them to go far considering the always messed up preparation of our teams. The football team reflects the shambolic way the country is being run by Yaradua and his fellow co-travellers.

Posted by Bill on Oct 17 2009

i sincerely pray they will excel, siasia and his boys actually tried though needed to try harder and perhaps it was just hard times for them, and let believe it can get better!

Posted by Francis Oghuma on Oct 17 2009

Lets support them they can make us proud

Posted by frank on Oct 18 2009

football is met for the tough as its the tough that get going.lets hope that the eaglets will not increase the number of BP patient in Nigeria as the championship last

Posted by Clement Okeke on Oct 18 2009

I believe that Nigeria is a great country,I believe that our under-17 players is going to put a smile a our faces again.it's only whem we believe that our aim will come through.we shouldn't have to say that our super eagles or our U-20 players didn't perform to the expectation so the under-17 wouldn't perform.remember that we have to change our thought inorder to change our lives.we can do it once more and I believe.up U-17 players!!!

Posted by stella on Oct 19 2009

i wish them best of luck, i believe they can do it

Posted by Nsikak on Oct 20 2009

Satan is attacking everything in Nigeria including football, we just have to pray that he should not use refree to remove our u-17 team in the tounament.

Posted by davidif on Oct 22 2009

What kind of nonsense is this??? These boys don't look 17.

Posted by Goodluck on Oct 22 2009

I wouldn't believe that our dear eaglet is going for this year's u-17worldcup to bring shame on us rather they are going to do what they know how best to do. Besides, let us pray for them and stop casting aspersions and wishing them downfall like other Nigerian teams. All the same, we earnestly wait for the trophy according to God's direction.

Posted by Divine on Oct 22 2009

I believe, the under-17 are going 2 make us proud.

Posted by Marvelous on Oct 24 2009

I wonder ooo, are this really U-17. Well only time will tell if we can make it for the fourth time or put another dismal performance on home soil like their fathers(super eagles) have performed. Good Luck to the GOLDEN EAGLETS.

Posted by isaac on Oct 27 2009

we're always the best.But we should remember to put God first.

Posted by MIMI on Oct 31 2009

WISHING OUR KEEPERS THE BEST.JOHN,AMOS AND DAN

Posted by goodluck on Dec 04 2009

names and position