Eagles’ Camp Opens In Asaba as Mikel Obi, Nine Others Arrive
Nigeria’s final preparations for the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations holding in Egypt begin on Sunday, with invited players, alongside the technical crew and administrative staff, arriving in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
In camp already are: Captain John Mikel Obi, Defender Leon Balogun, Jamilu Collins, Chidozie Awaziem, midfielder Semi Ajayi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu, forwards, Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu and Victor Osimhen.
Nicknamed The Big Heart, Delta State has eased into the forefront as the nation’s football capital, since hosting the 2018 AITEO Cup finals and the international friendly between the Super Eagles and Uganda’s Cranes in November 2018. Since then, the Super Eagles have played Seychelles in Asaba in an AFCON qualifier and hosted Egypt in a friendly, and the city was also the setting for the U23 National Team’s thrashing of Libya in an U23 AFCON qualifier in March 2019.
This first phase of camping will also take in a friendly match, against equally Egypt-bound Warriors of Zimbabwe, at the Stephen Keshi Stadium on Saturday, 8th June.
Players and officials will travel to the Egyptian city of Ismailia the following day aboard a chartered flight, where they will stay at the Hotel Mercure and spend a full week perfecting tactics and strategies, before taking on Africa’s number one –ranked team Senegal in another friendly in Ismailia.
On 17th January, the three –time champions will travel to Alexandria – venue of their Group B matches against Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar.
