Akwa United goalkeeper Uchechukwu Aloysius has been named in Nigeria’s Flying Eagles squad for the 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Flying Eagles head coach Abdu Maikaba included Aloysius among the three goalkeepers selected for the tournament, alongside Clinton Lawani and Abubakar Rufai.
The competition will take place from July 26 to August 9, 2026, and will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the next Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
Aloysius earned his place in the squad after an impressive season with Akwa United in the Nigeria National League (NNL). The young goalkeeper started about 90 per cent of the club’s league matches and was one of the team’s most consistent performers throughout the campaign.
Although Akwa United narrowly missed promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League after falling short on the final day of the season against Sporting Lagos, Aloysius’ performances caught the attention of the national team coaches.
His invitation is another major step in his career and gives him the opportunity to compete for a place in Nigeria’s final squad for the regional tournament.
Coach Maikaba has named a 35-man provisional squad as the Flying Eagles continue preparations for the championship.
The goalkeeping department is made up of Clinton Lawani, Abubakar Rufai and Uchechukwu Aloysius.
The defenders in the squad are Ayinla Olayomi, Abubakar Aliyu, Favour Nkwocha, Wahab Bolanle, Bonaventure Chiemela, Gamagira Uma, Mathias Azi, Mutari Momoh, Abdulaziz Musa and Godwin Samuel.
The midfielders are Victor Samuel, Oraro Apine, Saad Tijjani, Peres Jerem, AY Eni Samson, Habila Simeon, Simon Karshe, Auwalu Mohammed and Ibrahim Yakubu.
The forwards include Abba Dalli, Prince Columbus, Goodluck Angel, Imrana Mohammed, Adamu Hussain, Seun Akanji, Shamsudeen Adamu, Alex Leme, Ezekiel Oguchukwu, Mus’ab Suleiman and Peter Pam Davou.
Nigeria will be aiming to qualify for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations and continue the Flying Eagles’ strong record in youth football when the tournament begins later this month in Côte d’Ivoire.
