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By: Abiodun Adewale
The camp of the Super Eagles in Marrakech, Morocco is bubbling following the arrival of all but one of the 23 invited players ahead of the two friendly matches against Ghana and Mali, just as Enyimba coach, George Finidi, takes charge of the team in interim capacity.
Over a month after the team lost the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Nigeria will take on Ghana in the first of the two friendlies on Friday at the Grand Stade de Marrakech before taking on Mali four days later.
The team’s camp opened on Tuesday with 15 of the expected 23 players on ground for Tuesday evening’s training session while Fenerbahçe defender Bright Osayi-Samuel is the only player expected on Wednesday (today).
Goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and his Enyimba, Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo are three shot stoppers in camp for both games.
The other players include Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Jamilu Collins, Bruno Onyemaechi, newly invited Benjamin Tanimu, Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Alhassan Yusuf, Moses Simon, Nathan Tella, Cyriel Dessers, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Sadiq Umar and Ademola Lookman.
Others are Chidozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo, Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho, who all arrived later on Tuesday.
Although the Nigeria Football Federation had told The PUNCH exclusively that ex-international and assistant coach under Jose Peseiro, Finidi, will take charge of the team during the games, the NFF on Tuesday officially communicated it.
“Former Nigeria forward Finidi George will occupy the chief’s corner in the dugout when the Super Eagles confront West African arch-rivals Ghana in an international friendly in Marrakech on Friday,” NFF’s Head of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis winger, who made a scoring debut for fatherland in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Burkina Faso at the National Stadium, Lagos on July 27, 1991, has been appointed by the NFF to hold the reins in the meantime as a group of 22 players take on Ghana and Mali in this month’s international window.”
In another update shared on the Super Eagles official X account, Finidi also held a meeting with the backroom staff of the team.
Finidi is among the frontrunners for the Eagles head coach job following the exit of Portuguese Peseiro.
Other candidates for the job include US men’s U-19 coach Michael Nsien, 1994 AFCON winner and former Golden Eaglets and Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amuneke, Ndubuisi Egbo, Henry Makinwa, Sylvanus Okpala, Daniel Amokachi among other foreign aspirants.