POLAND VS NIGERIA: 22 Players In Camp As Eagles Start Training; Mikel, Etebo, Ajayi Out
The Super Eagles’ Radisson Blu Hotel camp in Wroclaw has been bubbling with the arrival of 22 players and the beginning of training sessions on Tuesday, the Nigeria Football Federation announced in a press release on Tuesday.
Technical and backroom staff, alongside six players opened the camp on Monday, and they were joined by goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Elderson Echiejile, Stephen Eze, Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awaziem, midfielders Joel Obi, John Ogu, Ogenyi Onazi, Uche Agbo and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Moses on Tuesday.
Enyimba goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa and South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi are expected on Wednesday.
Captain Mikel Obi is unlikely to make it to Wroclaw as he has been working hard at renewing his work permit in China, where he plays for Tianjin Teda. Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor told thenff.com on Tuesday: “We all had been hoping that the renewal would come in good time for him to fly to Poland. As it is now, it is not likely that he would make the trip.”
Las Palmas midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is injured, and Al Ahly forward Junior Ajayi, who was unable to secure visa into Poland, will fly directly to London for Tuesday’s clash with Serbia at The Hive.
The team trained twice on Tuesday, with the same schedule for Wednesday, before Thursday’s training at match time inside the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw. The match kicks off at 8.45pm (Nigeria and Poland are on same time zone) on Friday.
After Tuesday’s game with Serbia in London, the three-time African champions will play a send-off match against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Nigeria, before flying back to London for a high-profile clash England’s Three Lions at Wembley on 2nd June.
Four days later, the Super Eagles face Czech Republic at their final training camp in Austria, and another friendly game is on the cards before the squad jets out to the World Cup finals on 11th June.
Nigeria’s team base camp at the 21st FIFA World Cup finals is located in Yessentuki, Stavropol territory in the southern region of the Russian Federation.
The Super Eagles will face Croatia, Iceland and Argentina at the group phase of the World Cup.
Players in camp