Nigeria’s final preparations for the 32nd Africa Cup of
Nations (AFCON) which will hold in Egypt is set to begin on Sunday, the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) said on Friday.
Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, said in a
statement that the preparations would begin when invited players, alongside the
technical crew and administrative staff, start arriving in Asaba.
Asaba hosted
the 2018 Aiteo Cup finals and the international friendly between the Super
Eagles and Uganda’s Cranes in November 2018.
Since then, the Super Eagles have hosted Seychelles in the
Delta state capital city in an AFCON qualifier and hosted Egypt in a friendly.
The city was also the setting for the under-23 national
team’s thrashing of Libya in an Under-23 AFCON qualifier in March 2019.
Olajire said the Eagles’ backroom staff are expected to
arrive in full on Sunday, with some players also expected, while the larger
population of the players expected on Monday.
“This first phase of camping will also take in a friendly
match, against equally Egypt-bound Warriors of Zimbabwe, at the Stephen Keshi
Stadium on June 8,’’ he said.
The NFF spokesman said the players and officials would
travel to the Egyptian city of Ismailia the following day aboard a chartered
flight.
“They will stay at the Hotel Mercure and spend a full week
perfecting tactics and strategies, before taking on Africa’s number one-ranked
team Senegal in another friendly in Ismailia.
“On June 17, the three-times champions will travel to
Alexandria, the venue of their Group B matches against Burundi, Guinea and
Madagascar,’’ he added.
The team’s Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, had invited 25
players to the camp, with six other players — among them three home-based
professionals — on standby.
25 EAGLES FOR AFCON 2019 CAMP
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus);
Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Katsina United); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa)
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu
(Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); William
Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy)
Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth
Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Semi
Ajayi (Rotherham United, England)
Midfielders: Mikel John Obi (Middlesbrough FC, England);
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC,
England); John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Al Nassar FC, Saudi Arabia); Victor
Osimhen (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium); Moses Simon (Levante FC, Spain); Henry
Onyekuru (Galatasaray SK, Turkey); Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, China)
Alexander Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Samuel Kalu
(Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjyland, Denmark); Kelechi
Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain)
Six On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC); Bryan
Idowu (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia); Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba FC); Mikel Agu (Vitoria
Setubal, Portugal); Junior Ajayi (Al Ahly, Egypt); Valentine Ozornwafor
(Enyimba FC)
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