Ladan Bosso reveals how Flying Eagles learnt from Olympic Eagles mistakes
i

Flying Eagles coach Ladan Bosso

Ladan Bosso reveals how Flying Eagles learnt from Olympic Eagles mistakes

Jidechi Chidiezie 23:47 - 04.05.2023

The Flying Eagles will head to Argentina later in May with the intention to surpass Nigeria's best performance FIFA U-20 World Cup.

As a reaction to Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Flying Eagles head coach Ladan Bosso re-emphasized the need for proper scouting for the national teams.

Nigeria's Olympic Eagles in April, failed to overcome Guinea in the qualifiers for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, a tournament that would have served as a qualifier for the Olympic games.

A 2-0 defeat in the second leg, after a 0-0 scoreline in Abuja was all the Guineans needed to ensure that Nigeria would miss out on yet another Olympic Games.

Olympic Eagles error, lesson enough for Flying Eagles - Bosso

Speaking in an interview with Nigerian Info, Bosso expressed his optimism that the Flying Eagles were on the right track to avoid the mistakes that had led to the Olympic Eagles’ ouster.

"It’s a grave mistake inviting players that you don’t know their form," the Flying Eagles boss said in the chat with Nigeria Info, "Thank God, everything about the (foreign-based) professionals has been positive.

"We’ve been able to Google and download and get the statistics of the appearances of the foreign players we have invited in the last ten matches.

Nigeria's Flying Eagles squad after winning bronze at the U-20 AFCON
Nigeria's Flying Eagles will hope to do better at the FIFA U-20 World Cup having lost in the finals to Portugal (1989) and Argentina (2005).

"So, if you’re not a regular player in your team, you can’t be here. All we are trying to do is to avoid the mistakes made by the Under-23," he added.

Flying Eagles in Group D of U-20 World

The Flying Eagles will head to Argentina later in May with the intention to surpass Nigeria's best performance at the competition - a losing finalist finish in 1989 and 2005.

Nigeria are drawn in Group D of the 2023 competition alongside five-time champions Brazil, 2017 bronze-medalists Italy, and debutants Dominican Republic, and would start their group campaign against the Dominican Republic on May 21.

Three days after that, the Flying Eagles will then play Italy at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza before travelling to La Plata to take on Brazil on May 27.