Nigeria’s under-17 national team, Golden Eaglets are set to have another foreign-based join the camp this month, as Barcelona kid, Kelechukwu Ebenezer Ibe-Torti has been included in the roster.
Other the list is yet to be rolled out officially, sports247.ng gathered on good authority that Eaglets’ coach, Manu Garba has already put the emerging star in his plans.
Ibe-Torti’s name is expected to be found among the lot when Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) make the list of invitees public in the coming week and he should join the camp in Abuja at the start of February.
Taht would bring to two the number of foreign-based players Manu will be banking on to help him achieve glory at this year’s Afirca U-17 Cup of Nations in Tanzania.
Before Ibe-Torti’s appearance in the Eaglets’ spotlight, the squad had been graced by the presence of a young goalkeeper from Bournemouth of England.
The youngster, Joseph Oluwabusola, who features frio Bournemouth’s under-16 squad, was part of the Eaglets’ team that won the WAFU Zone B AFCON U-17 qualifiers in September.
Oluwabusola’s presence apparently fueled moves by Manu and the NFF to beef up the squad with more of his like, hence the nod for Ibe-Torti.
NFF source, however, said both playes and any other lad invited from overseas will have to prove themselves in training for them to make the final list of 21 to the 2019 U17 AFCON in Tanzania.
During the competition, from April 14 to 28 April, the five-time world champions will face the hosts, Tanzania as well as Angola and Uganda in Group A, with high hopes of picking a ticket to the 2019 Cadet Mundial.
