Super Eagles in first training session for Brazil Thursday

The Super Eagles will begin training on Thursday ahead of the October 13 International friendly against Brazil.

Almost all the invited 22 players have arrived Singapore for the match.

NationSport gathered that the four other players including Oghenekaro Etebo, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Jamilu Collins and Shehu Abdullahi were yet to arrive the camp of the team as at 3pm local time which is 10pm in Singapore.

NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire informed in a release that the administrative officials of the Super Eagles including Dayo Enebi Achor (Team Administrator); Toyin Ibitoye (Media Officer); Dr. Ibrahim Gyaran (Team Doctor); Christopher Nnadozie (Physiotherapist) and; Chidi Ngoka (Equipment Manager) departed Nigeria via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport aboard Emirates Airline yesterday after finally securing their entry visas to Singapore .

Further checks by NationSport revealed that the technical staff led by German coach Gernot Rohr has settled down at the team’s Fairmont Singapore Hotel with focus on the D-Day against the Selecao come Sunday.

“ Almost all the players are now in Singapore and I really want to commend the swift manner that the organisers, as well as the LOC and NFF, sorted the issue of visas for all the delegates for the game in Singapore, “ NFF’s Match Agent , Jairo Pachon of Eurodata Sport Ltd told NationSport.

“I’m personally happy and we can now focus on this important friendly match against Brazil on Sunday. As we speak, only Ajayi and the other delegates who travelled from Abuja are being expected. Everything is well on course and I think everybody is very happy now, the organisers as well as the LOC,” he added.

Pachon further said that the Super Eagles will have their first training session today with some recovery programme in the morning and light training session in the evening.

Meanwhile, the LOC has extended invitation to the Super Eagles to watch the first match of the widely acclaimed African Challenge against Brazil when the Selecao trade tackle against 2019 AFCON runners up, Senegal today at the iconic Singapore National Stadium in Kallang.

Today’s match serves as a prelude to the eagerly awaited match between Super Eagles and Selecao which is coming 23 years and a couple of months after Nigeria spectacularly ejected Brazil from the Centennial Olympic Games men’s football tournament in Atlanta, Georgia at the semi-final stage.

22 EAGLES TO BATTLE BRAZIL

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); Emil Maduka Okoye (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany)

Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (CD Leganes, Spain); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Tyronne Ebuehi (SL Benfica, Portugal); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Midfielders: Alexander Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Anderson Esiti (PAOK Salonica, Greece); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ramon Azeez (Granada FC, Spain)

Forwards: Victor Osimhen (Lille OSC, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Efosa Solomon-Otabor (PFC CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Emmanuel Dennis (Club Brugge, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic).