Izuchukwu OkosiNigeria’s U-23 men’s football national team, on Friday 3rd March 2023 began their camping ahead of the 2023 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Guinea.
Head coach of the Olympic Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, called up 30 players to camp ahead of the qualifying fixtures against Guinea.
The dream squad VII were held to a 1-1 tie by Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, but they advanced to the next round of qualifiers, where they would play West African neighbours, with a 2-0 victory at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
Four goalkeepers, eight defenders, ten midfielders, and eight attackers made the cut of the 30-man squad that the 61-year-old gaffer has gathered to take against Guinea.
Nigeria will host the opening leg at Adamasingba Stadium on March 22, 2023, before travelling to Guinea for the reverse fixture.
READ ALSO: Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles Begin Ibadan Training Ahead AFCON 2023 Qualifiers
Nigeria versus Guinea match’s overall winner will earn a spot in the 2023 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations competition.
All the invited Nigerian players have started arriving at the Chida Hotel in Abuja on Friday, (March 3, 2023) in order to kick off preparations.
Nigeria were the first African country to win the football event of the Olympics in 1996 when the American clty of Atlanta hosted the world.
The Nigerian side finished as quarterfinslists in 2000 in Sydney, Australia when Cameroon replicated Nigeria’s feat four years earlier.
The Nigerian Dream Team were bronze winners in 2016 when Rio de Janeiro hosted the Olympics.
The full squad list:
Goalkeepers: John Amah (Sunshine Stars); Nurudeen Badmus (Dakkada FC); Ifeanyi Nchekwube (Akwa United); Oriya Joseph (Lobi Stars)
Defenders: Christopher Nwaeze (Plateau United); Desmond Ojietefian (Shooting Stars); Okechukwu Chikason (Enyimba FC); Anthony Anieke (Akwa United); Samuel Olamilekan (Niger Tornadoes); Benjamin Tanimu (Bendel Insurance); Evans Ogbonda (Port Harcourt City); Umar Ahmed Farouk (Gombe United)
Midfielders: Daniel Wotlai (Abia Warriors); Akanni Qudus (Remo Stars); Auwalu Naziru (Rangers Int’l); Chibuike Nwaiwu (Enyimba FC); Divine Nwachukwu (Bendel Insurance); Taofeek Malomo (Shooting Stars); Samuel Chisom (Kwara United); Samaila Sarki (Bendel Insurance); Kumaga Suur (Lobi Stars); Inye Green (Ibani United)
Forwards: Munir Idris (Niger Tornadoes); Ahmed Jimoh (Kwara United); Ezekiel Edidiong (Remo Stars); Ifeanyi Ogba (Akwa United); Umar Ibrahim (El-Kanemi Warriors); Alkasin Deji Yusuf (Dakkada FC); Mojereola Suleiman (Sunshine Stars); Akile Monday (Lobi Stars)
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.
Follow Us