Nigeria U20 coach Ladan Bosso has named goalkeeper Chibueze Lambert as the team’s captain for the upcoming
WAFU B Cup of Nations tournament taking place in Porto Novo, Benin Republic.
The competition, which holds 5th – 20th December, will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations that will be staged in Mauritania.
“It has been a wonderful and awesome experience. It’s a dream come true,” Lambert said in an exclusive chat with Ademetan Abayomi.
“Kudos to the coaches, they have impacted a lot in us.”
“The Nigeria Football Federation itself have done a lot too, it’s now left to us as players to do the needful in Benin Republic.”
“It’s going to be a tough one for us. We are good to go. My teammates are awesome. In a game of football you can’t write off the opponents, even if they are U10.”
“We will be coming out victorious against Cote d’Ivoire in the opening game. We would respect but not fear them,” the Abia Warriors keeper added.
Lambert leads a cast that includes the trio of Wisdom Ubani, Charles Etim and Peter Olawale who played for the Golden Eaglets at the last FIFA U17 World Cup finals in Brazil. Plateau United’s duo of Mike Zaruma and Nenrot Silas also made the cut while Kwara United’s Christopher Nwaeze, Isaiah Ejeh and Farayola Olawale are also in the mix.
Hapoel Ranana of Israel attacker Peter Olawale and centre back Temitayo Ereku from Brookhouse Academy in the United Kingdom are the only foreign-based players listed in the squad.
Nigeria starts her campaign at the tournament on 6th December at the Stade de Galles in Porto Novo, Benin Republic.
Full Nigeria U20 selection is as follows:
Goalkeepers: John Amah (Box2Box FC), Chibueze Lambert (Abia Warriors), Kolawole Oladipo (Crown FC)
Defenders: Temitayo Ereku (Brookhouse Academy), Charles Etim (Blessed Stars), Mike Zaruma (Plateau United), Christopher Nwaeze (Kwara United), Moses Solomon (Calabar Rovers), Isaiah Ejeh (Kwara United), Jimmy Abdul (MFM)
Midfielders: Oladoye Adewale (Water FC), Liameed Quadri (36 Lions), Muhammad Abdallah (Nasarawa United), Azeez Oseni (36 Lions)
Attackers: Chisom Orji (Collins Edwin), Wisdom Ubani (Giant Brillas), Farayola Olawale (Kwara United), Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi (Giant Brillas), Nenrot Silas (Plateau United), Peter Olawale (Hapoel Ranana, Israel)
