Festus Abu
It will be a full house on the training pitch for Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr on Wednesday as most of the players he invited for the friendly affair with Poland in Wroclaw on Friday arrived at the Super Eagles’ camp in the Polish city on Tuesday.
The Eagles are scheduled to travel to London for another warm-up clash against Serbia on March 27 ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia from June 14 to July 15.
Nigeria face DR Congo in Uyo or Abuja, before clashing against England at Wembley on June 2.
The Wroclaw camp opened on Monday with Bursaspor defender William Ekong, Arsenal attacker Alex Iwobi, Hull City defender Ola Aina, Ado Den Haag right-back Tyronne Ebuehi, utility Amkar Perm player Brian Idowu and Mainz 05 centre-back Leon Balogun.
But the arrival of 16 players including injury-prone Torino midfielder Joel Obi, Chelsea star Victor Moses, Leicester City midfield general Wilfred Ndidi, who is reportedly high on Liverpool’s wanted list, China-based striker Odion Ighalo, CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa and struggling Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho set the camp alight on Tuesday night.
Others are Israel-based midfielder John Ogu, Turkey-based Ogenyi Onazi, Standard Liege’s Uche Agbo, Gent’s Moses Simon, young Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, Kenneth Omeruo, Elderson Echiejile, Stephen Eze, Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awazien.
The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed on Tuesday that Enyimba keeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa and his South Africa-based rival Daniel Akpeyi would hit camp on Wednesday.
But Rohr’s plans for the fixture against Biało-czerwoni (the White and Reds), who finished third at the 1974 and 1982 World Cups, appears to have been dealt a huge blow with Mikel Obi a major doubt for the match.
The administrator of the team Dayo Enebi said Tianjin Teda star Mikel had been trying to renew his work permit in China and would likely miss Friday’s game.
“We all had been hoping that the renewal would come in good time for him to fly to Poland. As it is now, it is not likely that he would make the trip,” thenff.com quoted Enebi as saying.
The NFF ruled out injured Las Palmas midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo from the encounter along with Zamalek winger Junior Ajayi, who was unable to secure a visa to enter Poland.
However, the federation said the players would be in London for Tuesday’s clash against Serbia at The Hive, Canons Park.
Meanwhile, Poland coach Adam Nawalka says the clash against Nigeria as well as Tuesday’s fixture against South Korea will help his team prepare for the World Cup. Poland are drawn in Group H alongside Japan, Senegal and Colombia at the world football’s showpiece in Russia.
“I’m very happy with my opponents. Both Nigeria and South Korea present a very similar style to our rivals at the World Cup, as well as Chile in June,” Nawalka told the Poland Football Federation official website.
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