Newly appointed head coaches of Nigeria’s youth national teams have announced their technical staffs ahead of upcoming regional qualifiers.
Abdu Maikaba, who took charge of the Flying Eagles (U‑20), confirmed that he will be assisted by Ortega Deniran, Abdullahi Biffo and Usman Mohammed. The quartet is set to begin work on Sunday as the U‑20 side starts preparations for the WAFU B U‑20 Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2027 Africa U‑20 Cup of Nations.
In the U‑17 bracket, Golden Eaglets boss Eboboritse Uwejamomere named Olumide Joseph Ajibolade, Mohammed Kalli Kachala and Abdullahi Isa as his assistants. Their immediate task is the WAFU B U‑17 Championship scheduled for September, which doubles as the pathway to next year’s Africa U‑17 Cup of Nations.
Both coaches inherit squads that have shown promise at the grassroots level and now face the challenge of converting that potential into continental competition qualification. The appointments reflect the Nigerian Football Federation’s renewed focus on strengthening the youth development pipeline, with the technical teams expected to emphasize tactical discipline and player scouting ahead of the regional qualifiers.
The forthcoming WAFU B tournaments will not only decide which Nigerian sides advance to CAF competitions but also provide a platform for emerging talents to attract attention from clubs across Africa and Europe. Success in these qualifiers is viewed as a crucial step toward rebuilding Nigeria’s reputation in youth football on the continent.
As preparations commence, the newly formed coaching units will conduct training camps, friendly matches and talent identification programmes to assemble competitive squads. Their progress will be closely monitored, and the outcomes of the WAFU B championships will set the tone for Nigeria’s ambitions at the 2027 Africa U‑20 Cup of Nations and the 2028 Africa U‑17 Cup of Nations.
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