VICTORIOUS U-23 TEAM RETURNS ON MONDAY

Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, says players and officials of the victorious U-23 national team, Dream Team VI, who lifted the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations on Saturday night, will arrive Nigeria on Monday.

NFF’s Deputy Director (Media), Ademola Olajire, said in a statement Sunday that the team will depart the Leopold Senghor International Airport on Monday at 3am aboard an Arik Airline flight, and are expected to touch down at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by 9am. The group will then board another Arik Airline flight to Abuja.

Meanwhile, all three overseas–based professionals, namely Captain Azubuike Okechukwu and forwards Junior Ajayi and Taiwo Awoniyi have returned to their different clubs and will not be part of the delegation arriving Nigeria.

All three players departed for their bases immediately after the team returned to its Alafifa Hotel base from the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor on Saturday night.

Nigeria beat Algeria 2-1 in a pulsating final match of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal Saturday night, after they had won a ticket to play in the football event of Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The next edition of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Zimbabwe