Nigeria’s U-20 coach, Aliyu Zubairu, has issued a warning to football agents and wealthy sponsors to stay away from the team’s training camp in Katsina State.
This warning comes as the junior team enters its final phase of preparations for the upcoming U-20 African Championship, set to take place in Côte d’Ivoire from April 26 to May 18.
A football agent, who pleaded anonymity, exclusively told The Guardian over the weekend that Zubairu’s call was intended to prevent any distractions during the training period.
The agent revealed that the Flying Eagles coach has turned off his two main phone lines and purchased a new private line to avoid pressure from agents trying to get their players included in the squad.
According to him, the decision to hold the training camp in Katsina State was mooted by chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to create an enabling environment to allow the team and coaching staff to focus on their preparations for the championship.
”His two lines are currently not going through at the moment. I can confidently tell you that aside from Katsina State’s government support, the choice of the camp was endorsed by NFF officials to stop agents, families, and moneybags from visiting the camp to allow players to focus on the tasks ahead,” he told The Guardian
The seven-time African champions have been drawn alongside Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco in Group B for the 2025 TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Nigerian Flying Eagles are holding their final training camp in Katsina State after NFF secured sponsorship from the Katsina State Government.
