Official: Maikaba, Uwejamomere appointed as Nigeria U20 and U17 head coaches

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) have confirmed the appointment of Abdu Maikaba and Eboboritse Uwejamomere as head coaches of the U20 and U17 teams, Soccernet.ng reports.

The announcement marks the beginning of a new era for both youth teams, after recent disappointments, as Nigeria aim to return to the highest level as soon as possible.

Nigeria finished third at the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, which qualified them for the FIFA U20 World Cup. However, their wait for a maiden title continued after they were eliminated in the Round of 16 following a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Argentina.

At the U17 level, there was even more disappointment as the Golden Eaglets failed to qualify for the 2026 U17 AFCON after losing to Ghana in the semifinals of the WAFU B qualifiers, contributing to the need for a change.

NFF confirm Maikaba and Uwejamomere appointments as Nigeria youth team coaches

Abdu Maikaba will now take over as head coach of the Nigeria U20 side and brings extensive experience to the Flying Eagles role, having previously served as head coach of the Nigeria U17 team. He also worked as assistant coach to Paul Aigbogun between 2019 and 2020.

The experienced coach has enjoyed a long career in the Nigerian league and famously guided Akwa United to victory in the Federation Cup in 2017. He has also managed other clubs in the league including the likes of Kano Pillars, Rangers, Plateau United and most recently, Wikki Tourists before he stepped down earlier in the year.

The 61-year-old replaces Aliyu Zubairu as Flying Eagles head coach after the latter stepped down from the position.

Meanwhile, Uwejamomere takes charge of the Golden Eaglets as Nigeria plan a major rebuild after missing out on three consecutive editions of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The Golden Eaglets have also not qualified for the FIFA U17 World Cup tournament since 2019, despite having won the most titles in the history of the tournament.

Uwejamomere previously served as special assistant in the technical department with both the Super Eagles and Super Falcons, where he supported the teams with match analysis duties.

He also has experience in youth development and has previously worked with academies at English clubs Millwall, Gillingham and Nottingham Forest. The coach has also managed Ogun State-based side Stormers FC.

His most recent role was as Head of Academy at Sporting Lagos, who recently secured promotion back to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and he brings a blend of European and local experience to the role.