Head coach of the Flying Eagles, Ladan Bosso, has confirmed that his team will resume the final phase of camping for the forthcoming Africa U-20 Cup of Nations on January 7.
He also went ahead to reveal that his side’s final preparation for the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations would be in Spain or Morocco.
“The camp will resume January 7 and the training tour will either be in Spain or Morocco,” Bosso told The Punch.
The 2023 U20 AFCON will be played in Egypt between February 19 and March 11. The tournament also double as the African qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Indonesia.
The Flying Eagles have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Egypt, Senegal, and Mozambique.
Bosso also disclosed he would be looking to add some experience to his backline and attack by handing call-ups to some foreign-based stars.
“We need experience in attack and defence and even if any foreign-based player will join the team, they will be from these departments,” he said.
The Flying Eagles open their campaign with an opening game against former champions Egypt on February 19 in Cairo and Bosso believes it is not entirely a difficult group.
“The group is a normal group. Every team that qualifies for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations is hopeful of qualifying for the World Cup”, Bosso said.
“So, whether we are in a tough group or not, if you want to qualify for the World Cup, you must play against the top teams at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“We will take it step by step. We won’t put any country first, we must respect every country in our group and we’ll work towards it.
“This team is not Bosso’s team, it’s Nigeria’s team. So, I want everyone to pray for the team now that the draws have been made.”
“We’ll do everything possible to improve the tempo of the players so that we can give a worthy representation,” he assured.
“Our priority is to qualify the team for the World Cup and eventually if we do, win the tournament.
“I know the calibre of players we have already and I believe they can do it.”
The Flying Eagles are the most successful team in Africa at this level having won the tournament a record seven times.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 years ago
