Eagles Return to Abuja in Search of AFCON 2023 Ticket
*Familiar foes S’Leone arrive Abuja hoping to shock Peseiro in his first official game
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Twenty-four out of the 27 Super Eagles players invited for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone on Thursday in Abuja had their first training session yesterday in the Federal Capital City.
New Head Coach, José Santos Peseiro, and all his assistants were on hand to put the players through their paces.
Captain of the Team, Ahmed Musa, led the players that included goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Adewale Adeyinka and Adebayo Adeleye, and defenders Olaoluwa Aina, William Troost-Ekong, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidozie Awaziem, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Leon Balogun, Sani Faisal and Kenneth Omeruo in that work out at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Others at this training include; midfielders Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Innocent Bonke and Frank Onyeka, and forwards Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, Cyriel Dessers, Ademola Lookman, Sadiq Umar, Terem Moffi and Emmanuel Dennis.
As at lunch time on Sunday, only defenders Abdullahi Shehu and Calvin Bassey, and midfielder Joseph Ayodele-Aribo were being expected in camp.
During breakfast and lunch periods, Peseiro was able to meet and familiarize with invited players who were unable to make it to the United States for the friendlies with Mexico and Ecuador. They include skipper Musa, defenders Sanusi and Balogun, midfielder Etebo and forwards Chukwueze, Umar and Lookman.
He also met with defender Omeruo, midfielder Onyeka and forward Osimhen, as well as Israel –based goal-tender Adeleye, who were not invited to the friendlies in America but have been called for the AFCON fray.
The Super Eagles Will confront familiar foes Sierra Leone at the MKO Abiola National Stadium on Thursday evening, in one of the Match-day 1 matches of Group A of the qualification series.
Sierra Leone arrived Abuja on Saturday and are hoping to stun Nigeria again like they did in Benin City last year, coming back from four goals down to draw 4-4 in an AFCON 2022 qualifier. Super Eagles are yet to win a game since 19 January 2022. They have been on a five-match run without a victory.
Two days after playing Sierra Leone, Super Eagles will fly to Marrakech for a Match-day 2 game against São Tomé and Príncipe that will take place on Monday, 13th June.
SUPER EAGLES FOR SIERRA LEONE AND SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sani Faisal (Katsina United);
Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain)
Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Innocent Bonke (FC Lorient, France); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England)
NPFL
Match-day 32
Wikki 1-0 Rivers Utd
Sunshine 2-1 Nasarawa
Plateau Utd 1-0 K’Pillars
Tornadoes 2-1 Enyimba
MFM FC 0-0 Lobi Stars
Kwara Utd 2-0 Katsina
Dakkada 2-0 Shooting
Remo Stars 1-0 Gombe
Abia War 2-0 Rangers
Heartland 1-0 Akwa Utd
