Head Coach Imama Amapakabo has picked team captain Azubuike Okechukwu, forwards Stephen Odey and Taiwo Awoniyi and 15 other players for Thursday’s U23 AFCON final round qualifying, first leg battle against Sudan in Omdurman.

The delegation of 18 players and 12 officials departed the shores of Nigeria from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja aboard an Ethiopian Airline flight on Tuesday afternoon.

Africa’s first –ever winners of the Olympic men’s football gold, the Olympic Eagles are scheduled to play their first leg of the final round of the U23 AFCON qualifiers against the Sudanese on Thursday at the Al Merriekh Stadium in Omdurman.

Amapakabo and his lieutenants have been taking the team through training sessions and general build –up programme for several weeks at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The return leg is billed for the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on Tuesday next week.

The Confederation of African Football has picked officials from Djibouti to take charge of proceedings on Thursday, with Souleiman Ahmad Djama as the referee.

His compatriots Farhan Bogoreh Salime, Rachid Waiss Bouraleh and Saddam Houssein Mansour will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively.

Mr. Herbert George Mwachiro from Kenya will be the match commissioner.

THE FULL LIST:

Abubakar Adamu, Agbor Ekoi, Nda Olisa, Stephen Manyo, John Lazarus, Ebube Duru, Collins Ogbodo, Azubuike Okechukwu, Fatai Gbadamosi, Sunday Adetunji, Blessing Muyiwa, Ndifreke Effiong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Onyeka Ogochukwu, Sunusi Ibrahim, Sunday Faleye, Stephen Odey, Etboy Akpan