Manu Garba names eight players he groomed who have been called up for AFCONQ v Sierra Leone 

2013 Fifa U17 World Cup-winning coach, Manu Garba has pointed out that he worked in the past with eight players named in the Super Eagles 23-man squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sierra Leone. 

Garba namechecked Divine Nwachukwu, Adebayo Adeleye, Olorunleke Ojo, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon and Taiwo Awoniyi among the players he groomed. 

Leicester City duo Ndidi and Iheanacho, Nottingham Forest striker Awoniyi, Enyimba goalkeeper Ojo and Nantes winger Moses Simon were part of the Flying Eagles squad coached by Garba that competed at the 2015 Fifa U20 World Cup. 

Garba selected Nwachukwu for the 2019 Fifa U17 World Cup and Adeleye was in the Golden Eaglets squad that missed out on qualification for the 2017 Fifa U17 World Cup.

Unbeknownst to many Nigeria fans, Chukwueze trained with the Golden Eaglets in 2013 but didn't make the grade. 

"Apart from Divine Nwachukwu the likes of Akinkunmi Amoo, Samson Tijani have one time been invited to the Super Eagles and I expect the likes of Olakunle Olusegun to get a chance soon," Manu Garba said. 

"I also have the likes of goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye, who kept for my 2017 U17 team, Olorunleke Ojo the goalkeeper who was part of the U20 AFCON-winning team in Senegal and was in the squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.

"I also have the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Taiwo Awoniyi who have all at one time or the other played under me either in the U17 or the U20."
 

The Super Eagles will face the Leone Stars at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia on Sunday, 18 June, as Sierra Leone do not have any stadium in their country approved for international matches.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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