After
what appears like a controversy on the possibility of the Super Eagles playing
the Hawks of Togo in an international friendly, the Nigeria Football Federation
(NFF) thursday confirmed June 1 as date for the tune up match aimed at getting
the senior national team ready for the AFCON 2019 qualifier against South
Africa.
NFF’s
Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire, confirmed that the match with the
Hawks would hold at Stade Municipal de Saint Leu La Foret, in Paris at 7.30pm
on the first day of June.
“The
match against the Hawks has been scheduled for the Stade Municipal de Saint Leu
La Foret, Paris on Thursday, 1stJune 2017, starting from 7.30pm. This
confirmation has put to rest all speculations about whether the game will hold
or not,” observed the NFF spokesman thursday.
Barely
four days before the Togo friendly in Paris, the three-time African champions
will take on the Corsica senior team at the Stade Francois Coty in Ajaccio
starting from 8pm on Friday, May 26.
Already,
Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, is expected to lead a contingent
of goalkeepers trainer Alloy Agu, home-based professionals including; Ikechukwu
Ezenwa, Alhassan Ibrahim, Stephen Odey and Sikiru Olatubosun and backroom staff
to Paris on Monday, May 22, from where they will travel to Corsica.
Although
the planned camp for Eagles in the French capital has been cancelled, the NFF
is expected to come up with a programme to keep the players busy ahead of the
Group E of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with South Africa at the
Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Meanwhile,
Eagles Franco-German Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has called up
Belgium-based forward Henry Onyekuru in place of Austria Wien FC poacher
Olanrewaju Kayode, who is being held back by club engagement.
PLAYERS
INVITED FOR THE FRIENDLIES
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu
Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah); Dele Alampasu (Cesarense FC, Portugal)
Defenders: Leon Balogun
(FSV Mainz 05, Germany); William Ekong (KAA Gent, Belgium); Uche Agbo (CF
Granada, Spain); Abdullahi Shehu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Tyronne Ebuehi
(ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands); Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Gijon, Spain);
Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal)
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi
(Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (CD Feirense, Portugal); John Ogu
(Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Mikel Agu (Vitoria Setubal, Portugal); Alhassan
Ibrahim (Akwa United FC)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa
(Leicester City, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses
Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Stephen Odey (MFM FC); Henry Onyekuru (KAS Eupen,
Belgium); Isaac Success (Watford FC, England); Noah Serenren-Bazee (Hannover
96, Germany); Victor Osimhen (Wolfsburg FC, Germany); Sikiru Olatubosun (MFM
FC)
*Chelsea’s Ola Aina and Alex Iwobi of Arsenal FC
are expected to join the team after the English FA Cup final involving both
clubs.
Comments