Izuchukwu OkosiSuper Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has thumbed up the preparations of the Nigeria U-17 national team, Golden Eaglets, ahead of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria.
The five-time world champions Nigeria were on Wednesday drawn in Group B of the tournament which serves as qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.
Nigeria’s U-17 side coached by Nduka Ugbade, qualified for the AFCON in Algeria after emerging champions of the WAFU B zone tournament in 2022.
Peseiro watched the cadet side prosecute two tune-up matches against Ikon Allah Stars and Propel Sporting Academy who defeated 9-0 and 6-0 respectively at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project, Abuja.
The draw ceremony was conducted inside the Cercle Nationale d’Armee in Algiers on Wednesday evening with host Nation, Algeria in Group A and have been grouped with Senegal, Congo and debutants, Somalia.
Nigeria in Group B faces Morocco, South Africa and Zambia – with the group games to be played in Constantine while the seeded team in Group C, Cameroon would have to negotiate past Mali, Burkina Faso and South Sudan.
“I must say I have been impressed by a number of players in this team. They are headed for great things if they keep level heads and remain disciplined,” Peseiro said as he welcomed NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi towards the tail end of the second encounter.
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The U-17 AFCON will hold between 29 April and 19 May with the four semifinalists representing Africa at the U-17 World Cup.
Eaglets coach, Ugbade who was captain of the Golden Eaglets that won the maiden edition of the tournament in 1985 when former West Germany hosted the world, has pruned down a list of over 1,000 players scouted to just 100 ahead of the tournament.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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