Duro Ikhazuagbe
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.
