Battles against Sierra Leone: Eagles face flight difficulties
Some Super Eagles’ players are facing flight difficulties arriving from their bases in Europe to Nigeria for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifier against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone slated for the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin on Friday, November 13.
With just four days to the game, coach Gernot Rohr has raised fears that he may not have enough time to prepare the team for the encounter in Benin City.
The German tactician however remains optimistic that he will have the full complement of 23 players called up by Tuesday, November 10.
The Nigeria Football Federation informed the invited players to report for international duty latest Monday, November 9 but the deadline is not feasible with as many as fourteen players involved in club duties yesterday.
The players affected are Daniel Akpeyi, Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi, Zaidu Sanusi, Kevin Akpoguma, Oghenekaro Etebo, Emmanuel Dennis, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, and Chidera Ejuke.
Rohr said to the Super Eagles Media Team : “The update today is that our 23 players are fit, there are some traveling problems because they cancelled one or two flights because you know in Europe now it’s another lockdown in certain countries and it’s not easy to find the flights but our team manager is working on it with the traveling agency.
“I hope that all the twenty-three players will be here at least on Monday.
“Some of them are playing on Sunday (Yesterday), traveling on Monday to Abuja then to Lagos, they can only arrive on Tuesday, so really only two days of preparations.
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“It’s Wednesday and Thursday in good conditions and I hope the grass will be okay in Benin City, I see that it’s a new stadium but the most important for the players is to have a good grass and then to see a good football game.
“We want to give joy to Nigerians in this very special period and we want to be happy with a good win next Friday”.