'It is a prestigious competition' - Nigerian coach eager to win FA Youth Cup with Chelsea 

Nigerian coach Hassan Sulaiman is eager to win the 2023-2024 FA Youth Cup with Chelsea. 

The former Arsenal youth teamer stepped up to take charge of Chelsea U18s in March 2023, having previously been the head coach at U16 level.

In terms of winning the competition, Chelsea are the second most successful team in FA Youth Cup history having lifted the silverware on nine occasions, bettered only by Manchester United (11). 

Chelsea won the FA Youth Cup in five successive seasons with Super Eagles defender Ola Aina a key member of the squads that won the competition in the 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. 

Sulaiman will be able to call upon the services some promising Nigeria-eligible players such as Tyrique George, Chinonso Chibueze, Somto Boniface and Saheed Olagunju for the FA Youth Cup as they had not reached the age of 18 years as at midnight on 31 August of the current season.

Speaking to Chelsea's official webpage, Sulaiman stated: "You only have to look at our history in the competition to understand how important it is to us.  

"It is a prestigious competition and I don’t think I can shy away from saying we certainly want to win it.

"We obviously haven’t won it in a few years. We’ve come close but we haven’t quite got over the line to lift the trophy. 

"Certainly the boys want to win as many competitions as possible and they want to be competing for this trophy in particular.

"So without a shadow of a doubt we see it as a competition that we want to win and I have no doubts that the boys will give everything they can to be able to do so."

Chelsea get their FA Youth Cup campaign under way on Friday evening with a third round clash against Leicester City.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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