FLAMENGO TURN ON MADUREIRA AND FOCUS ON CLASSIFICATION FOR MATA - MATA OF COPA RIO U-20

Nigerian striker Elija Shola renewed his residence visa, guaranteeing his stay in Brazil for another five years. The renewal of the permission was requested by Flamengo to the Federal Government. Furthermore, the player signed a new contract with the club, which is now valid until the end of 2027.

Although Shola has not yet debuted for Flamengo's professional team, he was listed for the classic against Flamengo. Botafogo, which ended with a 4-1 defeat at the Nilton Santos stadium. The striker was one of the highlights of Flamengo's under-20 team, which won the Libertadores and Intercontinental in the category.

Last month, Flamengo reached an agreement with Remo Stars, Shola's former club , purchasing 70% of the athlete's economic rights for 450 thousand dollars. The 19-year-old Nigerian has been on loan at Flamengo since April 2023. His last residence visa was valid for six months and expired in September 2024.

Shola was first scouted during the Viareggio Cup 2022, traditional grassroots tournament held in the Tuscany region, in Italy. He stood out as one of the main figures of his team, helping them reach the final of the tournament. Following this observation, Flamengo sent a scout to Nigeria to evaluate him again, confirming his signing shortly afterwards.

After beating Corinthians 5-0 in the last round of the qualifying round, Flamengo already knows the next opponent they will face in the quarter-finals of the under-17 Brasileirão: Fluminense. Last Monday (2), the CBF released the days and times of the classic, which will be worth a place in the semi-finals.CHECK THE DATES AND TIMES

Flamengo x Fluminense – 19th of September, Gávea, 3pm

Fluminense x Flamengo – September 26th, Vale das Laranjeiras, Duque de Caxias, 3pm

Both games will be broadcast on the SporTV channel. On September 19th, Mais Queridowill play at Gávea, at 3pm, to try to open up an advantage. The return match will be on September 26th, led by Fluminense, in Duque de Caxias. The winner of the match will face Cruzeiro or Santos in the semi-final.

The first phase of the Brasileirão under-17 had two groups of 10 teams. Mais Querido finished in third place in A, with 15 chicks. In total, there were nine games, with five wins and four losses. Furthermore, Flamengo scored 19 goals and conceded 12, with a 55% success rate.

Thus, if there is no winner in the sum of the scores, the classification of the teams will be defined in penalties. The criteria will also apply to the semi-finals. The final will be played in a single game. In addition to Fla x Flu and Cruzeiro x Santos, the quarter-finals will also play: Botafogo x Cuiabá and Palmeiras x Corinthians.

Coach Raphael Bahia designed the classic between Flamengo and Vasco, which will take place this weekend, in the first game of the Copa Rio under-20 final. The Garotos do Ninho commander expects a very complicated match, but showed confidence in the team and highlighted the evolution of the athletes.

"Playing another final is important for the club's process. Me, particularly , I had already played in some finals on other teams. We know that it is a moment that will be resolved in detail. The final game, even more classic, is a very complicated game. a lot every day, understanding a little more about how we like to play", said Raphael Bahia.

"And we have everything we need to take one step closer to guaranteeing this achievement. It's great to reach the final. I think that, when you reach a final, you realize that your work is being done well. And winning the title is crowning the work of this first semester, which has been wonderful here at the club", he added.

Raphael, in fact, is looking for his fourth title for Rubro-Negro in the youth categories. In just over a year at the club, the coach has already won the Flamengo Adidas Cup Sub-16, the Brasil Soccer Cup Sub-16, and the Liam Brady Cup Sub-16.

"It's true, but a final for Flamengo in one year at the club. We know that things are huge at Flamengo and that the club always seeks to reach the finals and win in every competition they enter. two well-balanced games, especially because we are with a younger team, so that makes the challenge even greater, we believe a lot in these boys", highlighted Raphael.

"We had a very good recovery and We are confident that we will play a good game at home, on Saturday, and a good performance in the second game, probably in São Januário, to win this second title of the season", he concluded.

The first game will take place this Saturday , at 10am, in Gávea. The return match will take place on the 28th (Sunday), at 3pm, in São Januário.