The Nigerian men's national under-20 football team represents Nigeria in men's international football also known as the Nigeria Under-20s or nicknamed the Flying Eagles. The Flying Eagles is the youth team for the national soccer in Nigeria. It plays a large role in the development of Nigerian football, and is considered the feeder team for the senior team. It is controlled by the Nigerian Football Federation. The team has won a record seven African U-20 Cup of Nations titles and are also two-times runners-up of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Nickname(s) | Flying Eagles | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Nigeria Football Association | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||
Head coach | Mitchell Adebanjo | ||
Home stadium | Agege Stadium | ||
FIFA code | NGA | ||
| |||
FIFA U-20 World Cup | |||
Appearances | 12 (first in 1981) | ||
Best result | Runners-up (1989, 2005) | ||
Africa U-20 Cup of Nations | |||
Appearances | 18 (first in 1978–79) | ||
Best result | Champions (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015) | ||
WAFU Zone B U-20 Tournament | |||
Appearances | 3 (first in 2018) | ||
Best result | Champions (2022) |
Competitive record
editFIFA U-20 World Cup record
editAfrica U-20 Cup of Nations record
editAfrica U-20 Cup of Nations | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
1977 | Did not enter | |||||||
1979 | Semi-finalists | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
1981 | Semi-finalists | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 |
1983 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 |
1985 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 8 |
1987 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 9 |
1989 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
1991 | Did not enter | |||||||
1993 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
1995 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
1997 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1999 | Second place | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
2001 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
2003 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2005 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
2007 | Second place | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
2009 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
2011 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
2013 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
2015 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 |
2017 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2019 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
2021 | Did not qualify | |||||||
2023 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
Total | 18/23 | 7 titles | 97 | 56 | 14 | 27 | 151 | 90 |
A gold background colour indicates that Nigeria won the tournament.
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
*There was no third place match from 1979-1989.
Team honours and achievements
editIntercontinental
Continental
- Africa U-20 Cup of Nations
- Football at the African Games
- Silver medal: 2019
Sub-Continental
Staff
edit- Head Coach: Mitchell Adebanjo
- First Assistant Coach: Usman Garba Suleiman
- Second Assistant Coach: Emeka Uzoma
- Scout: Hubert Okeke
- Goalkeepers' Trainer: Babajide Adegoke
Current squad
editThe following players were named in the squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be played in May-June 2023.[13]
Caps and goals correct as of 10 March 2023, after the match against Tunisia.
Former coaches
edit- Christopher Udemezue (July 1, 1982 – June 30, 1987/1988)
- Paul Hamilton (July 1, 1985 – June 30, 1986)
- Olatunde Nurudeen Disu (1987–1997)
- Thijs Libregts (July 1, 1998 – June 30, 1999)
- Samson Siasia (January 1, 2005 – March 26, 2007; June 30, 2009)
- Ladan Basso (2007–2009)
- John Obuh (July 1, 2010 – February 1, 2013)
- Emmanuel Amunike (July 1, 2014 – November 1, 2017)
- Paul Aigbogun (January 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020)
References
edit- ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Mexico 1983™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship USSR 1985™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Chile 1987™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Saudi Arabia 1989™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Nigeria 1999™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA U20 World Cup Canada 2007™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA U20 World Cup Egypt 2009™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ^ "Flying Eagles squad for 2023 FIFA World Cup in Argentina". The NFF - Twitter. Retrieved 16 May 2023.