Ahead of Super Eagles crucial AFCON 2019 qualifier against South Africa's Bafana Bafana on the weekend, the players have been hitting the camp in Asaba, the Delta state capital.
Super Eagles in camp
The camp of the Super Eagles of Nigeria is now officially opened ahead of next Saturday’s crucial AFCON 2019 qualifier against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
The invited players for the all-important tie are expected to start arriving at the team’s hotel in Asaba from today.
Already, the itinerary of the team has been posted on the official twitter handle of Super Eagles, stating that their training will be mostly secretive aside Wednesday’s session which will be open to the media.
“Ahead of our #2019AFCONQ vs @BafanaBafana. Our camp opens in Asaba Monday. Only the training session of Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 is open, other sessions will be closed.
“Our press parley holds next Monday, Nov. 19, ahead of the international friendly vs Uganda,” the statement on the Eagles official Twitter account read.
Team coach, Gernot Rohr called up stand-in Captain, Ahmed Musa and 22 other players for the match against Bafana Bafana in Johannesburg.
The same group will prosecute the friendly encounter against the Cranes of Uganda at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba three days later.
From the original list, the duo of Francis Uzoho and Odion Ighalo have dropped out with injuries.
Former U17 World Cup-winning forward Victor Osimhen is back in the mix after a long time out, with another U17 World Cup winning forward Samuel Chukwueze earning a first call.
Midfielder, Mikel Agu, who played some part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and home-based defender Adeleye Olamilekan Aniyikaye are also called; otherwise, the Franco-German tactician has kept faith with the group that trounced Libya’s Mediterranean Knights over two legs earlier this month.
Midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who is ineligible for the match after bagging yellow cards in the away matches against Seychelles and Libya, has been left out.
Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi, as well as Theophilus Afelokhai, are the three goalkeepers that would be jostling to be in-between the sticks for the Eagles.
Nigeria, top of the Group E of the series with nine points, battles eight –pointer and second-placed South Africa at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on Saturday, 17th November in one of the Matchday 5 fixtures.
Victory in the top-of-the-table encounter will automatically send the Eagles to the finals in Cameroon, with the second ticket in Group E to be down to a fierce call between the Bafana and the Knights.
The Super Eagles will fly from Johannesburg to Asaba on November 18 for the friendly with the Cranes on November 20.