Photo: NFF
The Future Eagles of Nigeria have reached Baku, Azerbaijan, for the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival, which runs from 22 to 31 October.
The 14 players and six officials, including head coach Patrick Bassey and team administrator Nasiru Jibril, departed Abuja on Wednesday night for Istanbul aboard a Turkish Airlines flight before connecting to the Azerbaijani capital on Thursday.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group AD alongside South Sudan, Jordan, The Gambia, Cyprus and Pakistan, with their opening match against South Sudan scheduled for Saturday.
The Future Eagles will face Jordan and The Gambia on Sunday before completing their group-stage fixtures against Cyprus and Pakistan on Monday.
The tournament will feature an eight-a-side format, with matches played over two 20-minute halves.
Performances in the group stage will determine the tier in which each participating country competes in the second stage, scheduled for 28 and 29 October. The tier finals will be played on Friday, 30 October.
The competition provides an opportunity for the young Nigerian players to test themselves against their counterparts from other countries in a tournament designed for the development of youth football.
Future Eagles Squad:
Goalkeepers: Victor Wisdom (Eagles Wings Academy, Abuja); Peter Linus (HB Academy, Abuja).
Defenders: Daniel Olaomi (Eagles Wings Academy); Prosperity Anionovo (Buruj Football Academy, Lagos); Timothy Ijachi (Mavlon FC, Lagos); David Okwusogu (NFF TDS); Michael Ibironke (NFF TDS).
Midfielders: Abdulsalam Muhammad (Simonben Academy, Kaduna); Martin Chukwu (AS Roma Academy, Abuja); Ayomide Jekami (NFF TDS); Mayowa Salu (NFF TDS).
Forwards: Abdulrazak Mufutau (12Alive FC, Ibadan); Wisdom Oche (Shakhandam Academy, Abuja); Wisdom Boniface (Adoration Academy, Enugu).
