Nigeria to beat AYC squad deadline

Terry Envoh, Flying Eagles forward a cert for next month’s African Youth Championship

Flying Eagles of Nigeria coach, John Obuh, has revealed that he will beat the March 10 deadline given by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the submission of a final squad of 21 players for the African Youth Championship in Libya.
“I will have my final squad of 21 players for the championship by March 8 ahead of the CAF deadline,” coach Obuh told MTNFootball.com.
It is widely expected that the dozen players from his team to the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup will make his final squad to Libya 2011.
The players are goalkeeper Dami Paul, skipper Ramon Azeez, Olanrewaju Kayode, Mohammed Aliyu, Kenneth Omeruo, Aigbe Oliha, Abduljaleel Ajagun, Edafe Egbedi, Deji Joel, Stanley Okoro, Terry Envoh and Omoh Ojabu.
The other hot bets for the final party are VVV Venlo striker Ahmed Musa and Kwara United defender Gbenga Arokoyo, who has replaced dropped skipper Fortune Chukwudi.
However, Sharks striker Bright Ejike, who appears to have solved the team’s goal scoring problems, has been ruled out of the tournament on account of an appendectomy, which he successfully underwent at the weekend in Turkey.
Goalkeepers Gideon Gambo from Sharks and Chinedu Udeh from Heartland are also expected to be on the final squad.
Others are Dolphin forward Chidi Osuchukwu, who scored in a friendly against Libya, and Kwara United star Philemon Daniel, who featured in the qualifying tournament for the AYC.
Nigeria are drawn with defending champions Ghana, Cameroon and The Gambia in Group B of the AYC based in troubled Benghazi with the semi-finalists guaranteed passage to the 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.