U23 AFCONQ: NFF Make Contact With Latvian Club Over Release Of U17 World Cup-Winning Defender

Published: March 08, 2019

Allnigeriasoccer.com has been informed that the Nigeria Football Federation have opened a line of communication with Latvian club FK Metta over the release of Lukman Zakari ahead of the forthcoming U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Libya.

As far back as one month ago, Dream Team coach Imama Amapakabo penciled his name as one of the foreign-based professionals to be called up for the two matches against the North African opponents.

Zakari's camp has given assurances that the central defender will honour the invitation and will report for international duty after FK Metta's next two league games.

The Unity Academy product was one of the unsung heroes as the Golden Eaglets won the FIFA U17 World Cup for a fifth time in 2015, going the distance in all their seven games during the tourney in Chile.

He was later promoted to the Flying Eagles team that failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

Former Manchester United youth-teamer Tosin Kehinde and Rio Ave defender Kelechi John are already training with the Olympic Eagles ahead of the double-header vs Libya.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel