Soccer
Flying Eagles players & Ebrima Manneh. Photo – NFF/Edited via Azzuu
Flying Eagles midfielder Ebrima Manneh has become a talking point on social media after Nigeria’s squad list for the ongoing WAFU B U20 Championship in Côte d’Ivoire began circulating, Soccernet.ng reports.
Following Manneh’s inclusion in the Nigerian youth team, some Gambian football accounts are questioning his nationality background.
Nigeria travelled to Côte d’Ivoire as defending champions, having beaten Ghana 2-1 in the final of the last edition in Lomé. Coach Abdu Maikaba named a 23-man squad blending home-based talent from the NPFL with players attached to clubs abroad, including Wahab Musa of Malaga and Imrana Muhammad of Deportivo Alavés. The Flying Eagles opened their campaign against Ghana’s Black Satellites before matches against Togo and Burkina Faso.
Manneh, who plays his club football for Sporting Supreme, was named among the defenders in Maikaba’s squad.
Flying Eagles camp queried
Shortly after the squad list was published, a Gambian football social media page suggested Manneh could be a talented player of Gambian background and encouraged Gambian football authorities to reach out to him, framing it as a case worth their attention given his inclusion in Nigeria’s squad.
Beyond that post, unverified claims about Manneh’s background and documentation have also circulated online. Soccernet.ng has not been able to independently verify these claims, and neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor the Gambia Football Federation has issued any public statement on the matter.
A source close to Manneh, when contacted, said the player is eligible to represent Nigeria and is currently on a developmental programme in England, where clubs are monitoring his progress. Separately, a 2023 report indicated Manneh made his international debut for Nigeria’s U16 side at a tournament in Japan that year, though this could not be independently corroborated.
What Happens Next
Manneh remains part of Nigeria’s squad for the remainder of the tournament. Soccernet.ng will update this story if either federation, or FIFA, issues an official comment.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.
Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin
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