New Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets coaches pick assistants

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Newly appointed head coaches of Nigeria’s U-20 and U-17 men’s national football teams have selected their assistant coaches, beginning the process of rebuilding both squads ahead of major championships, The PUNCH reports.

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Flying Eagles coach Abdu Maikaba has picked Ortega Deniran (first assistant), Abdullahi Biffo (second assistant) and Usman Mohammed (goalkeeper trainer) to work with him.

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Maikaba, who previously worked as assistant coach of the two-time FIFA U-20 World Cup runners-up Flying Eagles and also managed several of Nigeria’s leading clubs, announced his backroom staff on Thursday as the team prepares to resume camp in Abuja on Sunday ahead of the upcoming WAFU B U-20 Boys Championship in July.

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The competition will serve as the qualifying tournament for next year’s Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. The Flying Eagles are seven-time winners of the continental tournament.

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Similarly, newly appointed Golden Eaglets coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has selected Olumide Ajibolade (first assistant), Mohammed Kachala (second assistant) and Abdullahi Isa (goalkeeper trainer) to assist him in building a new squad aimed at returning Nigeria to the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals and challenging for a sixth global title.

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This year’s WAFU B U-17 Boys Championship will take place in September and will serve as the qualifying tournament for next year’s Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

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Nigeria, five-time winners of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, have failed to qualify from the last two qualifying campaigns.

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