Super Eagles’ head coach, Gernot Rohr has started mapping out strategies the three-time African champions will use on Sunday to contain five-time FIFA World Cup winners, Brazil, who he has the chance to watch play against Senegal on Thursday in their first friendly of their ongoing tour of Singapore.
Megasportsarena.com gathered that Rohr is of a view that his team will stand a good chance against The Samba Boys, as it will be equal opportunities on neutral ground this time, when they line out Singapore National Stadium in Kallang for the kick-off at 1pm Nigeria time.
The Franco-German tactician was excited, as all 22 invited players were on ground in the Eagles’ camp for the commencement of training on Wednesday, ahead of Sunday’s match, which has been touted as a golden opportunity for Nigeria too get their pound of flesh against Brazil.
The Eagles’ abode at Fairmont Hotel camp alive fully on Wednesday night, with all the players saying they intend to avenge a 3-0 loss they suffered at home in Nigeria’s only previous clash with Brazil at full senior level, when the team failed to rise to the occasion during the opening of Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja in June 2003.
Rohr went on to affirm that has other reliable defenders that can fill the void created by the forced absence of AS Torino of Italy fullback, Ola Aina, who has been ruled out of Sunday’s game on account of a domestic injury at his home in Turin.
Aina’s absence brings to four the number of players that have pulled out of the game, following earlier exits by Leon Aderemi Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo and Samuel Kalu, but Rohr pointed out that the replacements – Shehu Abdullahi, Viv Efosa Solomon-Otabor and Tyronne Ebuehi – have what it takes to rise to the occasion against The Samba Boys on Sunday.
Rohr told Owngoalnigeria.com: “We like to have all our players because of what we are building. Aina played well against Ukraine and we wanted to see him more against Brazil. In the team we have Chidozie Awaziem, Tyronne Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi who can play in his position, so we are not worried about calling a replacement.”