Admin l Sunday, September 08, 2019
DNIPRO, Ukraine – The Super Eagles have arrived in the city of Dnipro, Ukraine ahead of Tuesday’s international friendly with the senior national team of Ukraine, with 18 players part of an early morning team walk on Sunday.
Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has fixed 5.30pm on Sunday for the team’s first training session, when all 22 players would be fully assembled in Ukraine’s third city.
At Sunday morning’s team walk were goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Maduka Okoye, defenders William Ekong, Jamilu Collins, Leon Balogun and Bryan Idowu, midfielders Alex Iwobi, Joseph Aribo, Oghenekaro Etebo and Anderson Esiti, and forwards Joshua Maja, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Emmanuel Dennis and Moses Simon.
Spain –based defender Chidozie Awaziem arrived the team’s hotel, ahead of defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, and Kelechi Iheanacho who were being expected at just after noon. The training session will hold at FC Dnipro’s training ground at Dnipropetrovsk, within the Pridniprovsk housing estate.
Tuesday’s clash will take place at the 31,000 –capacity Dnipro Arena, home ground of top club FC Dnipro, and will kick off at 9.30pm Ukraine time (7.30pm in Nigeria).
It is the first assemblage of the three –time African champions since finishing third and with the bronze medals at the first –ever 24 –team Africa Cup of Nations staged by Egypt June/July this year.
For the Super Eagles, the game also serves as part of the preparation for November’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duels with the Squirrels of Benin Republic and the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airline management has promised to deliver to Dnipro before Tuesday the Nigeria team’s kit bags and luggage of six players that failed to arrive with the team from Istanbul on Saturday.
Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, toldthenff.com: “Our kit bags did not arrive with us from Istanbul. The bags of six players also did not arrive, but we have alerted Turkish Airline and they have promised to deliver them to us in Dnipro between Sunday and Monday.”
Olympic Eagles begin training in Asaba
ASABA – Nigeria’s U23 boys have started intensive training sessions in the city of Asaba ahead of Tuesday’s make-or-break Africa U23 Cup of Nations final qualifying clash against Sudan.
Thursday’s first leg encounter at the Al Merriekh Stadium in Omdurman ended 1-0 in favour of the Sudanese, whose contingent flew into Abuja on Sunday afternoon, on their way to Asaba.
The Imama Amapakabo charges had their first feel of the Stephen Keshi Stadium on Sunday morning, and were scheduled to train again on Sunday evening and Monday evening.
Cup holders Nigeria have now welcomed to camp midfield lubricator Kelechi Nwakali, who missed Thursday’s opening leg, and Amapakabo is happy to have the former U17 World Cup winning captain strengthen his squad for Tuesday’s battle.
Nigeria, who overturned a two goal deficit against Libya in the earlier round, winning 4-0 at the same venue, are confident of erasing the one goal deficit from Omdurman and soaring over Sudan to the 3rd Africa U23 Cup of Nations holding in Egypt, 8th – 22nd November. The two finalists in Egypt will fly Africa’s flag at the Men’s Football Tournament of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
