'Very prepared' - Chelsea striker Ezenwata ready to make a name for himself at U17 World Cup

Prolific Chelsea striker Chizaram Ezenwata has arrived in Qatar with the England squad ahead of their opening match of the 2025 Fifa U17 World Cup against Venezuela at Aspire Zone (Pitch 4), Al Rayyan.

Ezenwata, Landon Emenalo and Lanre Awesu, a goalkeeper on the books of West Ham United, were all initially included in Neil Ryan’s Young Lions squad, but the Chelsea defender was forced to withdraw after sustaining an injury during a UEFA Youth League clash against Ajax Amsterdam.

Also eligible to represent Nigeria and Cameroon, Ezenwata previously received a call-up to a Flying Eagles training camp in preparation for the 2025 Fifa U17 World Cup, but club commitments prevented him from travelling to Abuja.

Following a blistering start to the season, scoring in six consecutive matches in the U18 Premier League, Ezenwata has been rewarded with a place in England's World Cup squad. 

The highly rated tri-national forward is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in his age group.

With scouts and fans closely monitoring the competition, Ezenwata sees the tournament as a golden opportunity to enhance his growing reputation.

Speaking to Alkass, he said: "I’ll say as a team we've come here very prepared for the World Cup.

"Obviously we want to win it and make a good name for ourselves. This will be a very big tournament for us.

"I think we are going to do very well and get to the end — hopefully win the whole thing. I am pretty excited for that, everyone looking sharp."

England last lifted the Fifa U17 World Cup trophy in 2017 when a star-studded squad featuring the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marc Guehi, Angel Gomes, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Emile Smith Rowe, Morgan Gibbs-White and Conor Gallagher triumphed in India.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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