Only Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar was being expected
as Nigeria’s juggernaut rolled sturdily into the much-familiar environment of
Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Tuesday, with 22 players involved in the team’s
first training session ahead of a potentially-explosive Africa Cup of Nations
qualifying match against neighbours Benin Republic on Thursday.
“We have 22 players, with only one person to join the
team in the early hours of Wednesday. It has been a particularly great
atmosphere here in Abidjan, and we are all very positive going into the first
training session ahead of the match,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen told thenff.com
on Tuesday.
Eleven players, viz Captain and AFCON Man of the
Competition William Ekong, reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen,
his likely successor Ademola Lookman, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel, Olaoluwa
Aina, Victor Collins and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Alhassan
Yusuf Abdullahi, and Germany-based forward Victor Boniface all arrived at once
on Tuesday morning, before being joined by South Africa-based goalkeeper
Stanley Nwabali.
Earlier, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, midfielder Wilfred
Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho had arrived, to join the eight that were in
camp on Monday: goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defenders Gabriel Osho and Bruno
Onyemaechi, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika,
and forwards Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.
With 10 points from four matches, seven goals for and
none against, and top of their Group D, the Eagles will walk with an extra
bounce into the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the facility where they upended
the aspirations of Guinea Bissau, Cameroon and Angola at the 34th Africa Cup of
Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year.
It was also the venue where in the summer, they were
slated by two goals to one by the Cheetahs (who have been forced by lack of a
CAF-approved facility in their country to adopt Abidjan as home) in a 2026 FIFA
World Cup qualifying game in which they scored first.
“The stadium is a familiar one for us and we have good
memories from the AFCON. We will rather focus on the positive results we have
taken away from here and work hard for another good day in the office on
Thursday.
“It is not going to be easy because the Beninoise are
also chasing a ticket to the final tournament. However, our objective is clear:
three points on the night,” Captain Ekong said on Tuesday.
Senegalese official Issa Sy, who was in charge when
the Super Eagles pipped Angola 1-0 at the same venue, in a quarter-final match
of the Africa Cup of Nations finals, has been selected by CAF as referee for
Thursday’s encounter, which will commence at 7pm CIV time (8pm Nigeria time).
He will be supported by compatriots Djibril Camara
(assistant 1), Nouha Bangoura (assistant 2) and El Hadji Amadou Sy (fourth
official). Ivorian Rene Williams Sere will be the commissioner while Angolan
Inacio Manuel Candido will be the referee assessor.
The Super Eagles need only one point from Thursday’s
clash to be sure of a ticket to the 35th AFCON, scheduled for Morocco 21st
December 2025 – 18th January 2026.
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