WAFUB U17: Ugbade names 20 for regional tournament

Nigeria U17 head coach Nduka Ugbade has released a list of twenty (20) players for the forthcoming WAFU UFOA B U17 regional tournament, www.aclsports.com reports.

Seven countries from the WAFU B region will converge on Ghana starting from this weekend to compete in the tournament which will serve as regional qualifiers for the 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ugbade, captain of the first Golden Eaglets side in 1985 will head the team’s technical crew for the first time after having served as assistant previously to Manu Garba. He will lead out the team to Ghana from Abuja on Wednesday.

He has picked goalkeeper Pascal Uzoho, a younger sibling of Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho in his final team as well as midfielder turned left back Emmanuel Michael.

Nigeria will face hosts Ghana on Saturday, June 11 at the Cape Coast Stadium before facing Togo three days later at the same venue.

The top two teams in the group advance to the semi-final while the two finalists in the competition will represent the region at the 2023 U17 AFCON to be hosted by Algeria.

Nigeria U17 Squad

Goalkeepers: Richard Odoh, Hameed Balogun, Pascal Uzoho

Defenders: Jeremiah Olaleke, Emmanuel Michael, Tochukwu Ogboji, Yahaya Lawal, Miracle Ogwor

Midfielders: Basil Mbata, Ebube Okere, Tochukwu Ogbabido, Richard Uche, Ozor Okeke, Raphael Oyebanjo

Forwards: Umar Abubakar, Kevwe Iyede, Light Eke, Abubakar Abdullahi, Jubril Azeez, Precious Williams

Standby: Utibe Silas, Abdullahi Buhari, Abubakar Shaibu, Tijjani Mohammed, Stephen Emmanuel