The head coach of Nigeria’s Under-20 national football team, Ladan Bosso has given Flying Eagles a Christmas break after winning nine test games during camping exercise in Abuja.
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The Flying Eagles have been camping in Abuja ahead of the Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations scheduled for Egypt next year.
Nigeria’s Under-20 boys, played series of friendly matches before embarking on Yuletide break.
The team’s last tune up match was against NPFL side, Lobi Stars of Makurdi which they won 2-0 on Saturday morning at FIFA Goal Project AstroTurf in Abuja.
Haliru Sarki broke the deadlock in a closely-fought game with a well-taken free kick in the 76th minute, and 10 minutes later, prolific Olusegun Otusanya sealed the victory for the Ladan Bosso-tutored side after an assist from Dominion Ohaka.
The win was the second for the team in three games against NPFL sides as Bosso’s squad maintained their rich vein of form.
Earlier on Friday, the Egypt-bound team forced Nasarawa United to a 1-1 draw with Olamilekan Adams scoring the equaliser four minutes to the end of the game.
Last week Thursday, the Ladan Bosso-led team knocked Wikki Tourists 2-0 with goals from Olamilekan Adams and Olusegun Otusanya stamping the win for the seven-time African Champions.
The win against Lobi Stars was the eighth game the Flying Eagles had played (with seven wins and a draw) since the team opened camp on 28th November.
The Flying Eagles will now embark on a two-week recess and are expected to resume camp in the first week of January for the final phase of preparations ahead of the Final Tournament of the Africa Under-20 in Egypt.
The Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2023 will be played between 19 February and 11 March 2023.
Nigeria has won a record of seven Africa Under-20 Nations Cup titles and are also two-times runners-up of the FIFA Under-20 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, the Draw Ceremony for the Under-20 AFCON is billed to take place in Cairo, Egypt on Friday, 23rd December.
The qualified countries are hosts Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, The Gambia, Uganda, South Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, Central African Republic and Congo.