Nigeria’s hopes for a breakthrough at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup have taken a hit, with several top young talents blocked from joining the squad.
The Flying Eagles will head to Chile without Hoffenheim duo Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin, as well as Ibrahim Hafiz of Stade Reims.
Both the German and French clubs exercised their right to keep the players since the tournament does not fall under FIFA’s mandatory release window.
Head coach Aliyu Zubairu was forced into late changes, naming a 21-man list that looks noticeably lighter on overseas-based stars.
Among those dropped from contention are Clinton Jephta of Enyimba, along with Bidemi Amole and Divine Oliseh, who had featured at the qualifiers in Togo.
Leading the team is skipper Daniel Bameyi, supported by a core of homegrown players who have been regulars in training camps and warm-up matches.
The coach also handed call-ups to fresh faces such as Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, and Odinaka Okoro.
READ ALSO: U-20 World Cup: Flying Eagles Coach Zubairu Set to Invite New Players
Injury has also played its part—regular fullback Adamu Maigari misses out due to a knee problem.
The squad departed Abuja for Santiago on Sunday night, with Norway-based midfielder Daniel Daga set to join directly in Chile.
Nigeria’s young Eagles will be chasing history when the competition kicks off on September 27. Despite reaching the final in 1989 and 2005, the U-20 World Cup trophy has remained elusive.
Their last outing in Argentina 2023 ended in disappointment, with elimination at the quarter-final stage by South Korea.
This time, Zubairu’s men will hope resilience and raw talent can compensate for the absence of their European-based stars, as they aim to mount a serious title challenge before the curtain falls on October 20.