TheCable

Flying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, is facing a selection headache with just a week left before submitting a final list of 21 players for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

Thirty players are jostling, in Germany, for a place in the final list which is expected to be submitted to FIFA on May 15.

And Garba has two friendly games against the U-23 teams of Hoffenheim (on May 12) and Nurnberg (on May 15) to decide the squad for the campaign.

But he admits having a difficult task on his hands.

“The boys have been doing well and we are very proud of them but I think we will have a good selection headache when it comes to dropping some of them,” he said.

“It’s not going to be an easy thing to do because these boys have been giving their best since they arrived and it will be a bit difficult to drop some of them. But unfortunately we cannot take all of them to New Zealand so some of the will have to return home.

“It is an advantage, of course, having to choose from a pool of very good players. I just feel for the ones that won’t make it, but it’s not the end of the world.”

Nigeria’s first match of the championship is against Brazil in New Plymouth on June 1.

The African champions will also play North Korea and Hungary in Group E.