Story from Kenneth Afor, Lagos
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa and forward, Paul Onachu who was voted Best Player and Top Scorer in Belgium in the just-concluded season have arrived at the camp in Austria as the three-time African champions get set for Friday’s all-important international friendly against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
On Tuesday, 18 players were at the training pitch of the Stadion Wiener Neustadt in Vienna, where both West African neighbours and fierce rivals will do battle in what is their first clash in two years.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions have had a fair share in several encounters with the Super Eagles especially in the Africa Cup of Nations finals – 1984, 1988 and 2000. But the Eagles edged the neighbours to the east 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the last AFCON in Egypt two years ago, subdued the Lions 3-0 in a friendly in Belgium in October 2015 and were vastly superior over two legs in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in September 2017.
The arrival of the inspirational Musa and Belgium –based Onuachu on Wednesday morning brought the number of players in Nigeria’s camp to 20. Others are goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and John Noble; defenders William Ekong, Valentine Ozornwafor, Chidozie Awaziem and Jamilu Collins; midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Abdullahi Shehu, Abraham Marcus and Samson Tijani and; forwards Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Anayo Iwuala, Terem Moffi and Peter Olayinka.
After Tuesday’s training, Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr said he was satisfied with the session, and insisted the match against the Lions is an avenue to assess and evaluate what a number of new players can bring to the group.
Friday’s clash will start at 8.30 pm Nigeria time.
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