Super Eagles players, Fenerbahce defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen have arrived for Sunday’s 2023 AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone in Liberia.
Osayi-Samuel is expected to join the rest of the team from today’s session after he arrived last night, having missed two training sessions already while Napoli striker Victor Osimhen arrived at the camp on Monday night after missing the first training session on Monday, but was part of Tuesday’s closed session.
They have both joined with the rest of the squad for Wednesday’s training session at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, before the team departs for Liberia via a chartered flight on Saturday morning.
At least four home-based players have been invited by the Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro to the national team for the Sierra Leone encounter.
As the Eagles prepare for the game at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, four home-based stars are joined by 19 others from abroad .
Goalkeepers Victor Sochima of Rivers United and Enyimba’s Olorunleke Ojo, Rivers United left-back Ebube Duru, will return, while Bendel Insurance midfielder Divine Nwachukwu got a fresh call-up In the 23-man squad released last week, have gotten invitations by Peseiro.
After watching all the 15 matches during the competition, the Portuguese coach have commended the just-concluded Nigeria Professional Football League Super 6 playoffs.
Paseiro made comments on the new development. The coach said, “For me the NPFL Super 6 was a good competition because I could see the best teams. Of course, there are good players in other teams but I could concentrate on the few. Sometimes I wanted to visit many cities to watch the NPFL but due to logistics I couldn’t but it was good to see all of them in Lagos.
“Despite the fact that the players played five matches in about 10 days, they gave their best and congratulations to Enyimba the champions and all other teams,” Peseiro said.
“You know we can have only 19 players from abroad and the rest from the league. I chose four and I’m sure there are other good players for other positions in the league, but I selected these four for specific positions. They are all Nigerians and I believe in them as well.”
On the chances of the Eagles qualifying a win against the Leone Stars will help Nigeria earn a place at next year’s AFCON in Ivory Coast, considering the fact that they have nine points in Group A.
