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Nigeria’s training schedule ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations finally got into heated swing on Tuesday evening, with 23 players on ground for the drills outlined by Super Eagles’ delighted interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen, megasportsarena.com reports.
Although five players were still being expected later same day, Eguavoen cut a picture of relief and happiness, as he took the expanded pool of invited players through the evening drills at FIFA Goal Project practice pitch in Abuja.
It was welcome change to only six players that were available as at last Friday, 11 on Sunday and 14 on Monday, but the arrivals of Ola Aina from AS Torino of Italy and Kenneth Omeruo from Leganes of Spain expanded the pool to 23.
Omeruo, though, may find it pretty difficult to get a starting shirt in Nigeria’s first game of the competition next Tuesday, against seven-time winners, Egypt, as he has only two appearances for Leganes in the Spanish lower division, Segunda Liga, since the start of November.
Aina, who looks good to start in one of the full-back spots, either left or right, breezed in ahead of lads he used to rub shoulders together with in England, as Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Onyinyen Ndidi (both Leicester City), Alex Iwobi (Everton), William Troost-Ekong (Watford), Frank Onyeka (Brentford) and Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion) all hit camp on Tuesday.
Those that were still being expected after Friday evening’s training session in Abuja were Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn of Germany), Tyronne Ebuehi (Venezia of Italy), Joseph Aribo (Rangers of Scotland), Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal of Spain) and Odion Ighalo (Al-Shabab of Saudi Arabia).
The team is due to fly out to Cameroon on Wednesday evening, following which they will move from Yaoundé to Garoua, where they will settle down ahead of their AFCON 2021 Group D opener against 2019 hosts and seven-time winners, Egypt on Tuesday.
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