Excitement builds in Eagles camp as Osimhen and Osayi-Samuel make their arrival
Bright Osayi-Samuel, the Fenerbahce defender, has finally linked up with the rest of the squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone in Liberia. Today, he participated in the training session at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.
Having arrived at the Super Eagles camp last night, Osayi-Samuel had already missed two training sessions. However, he will now join the team for today's session and will be ready to depart for Liberia on Saturday morning, traveling by a chartered flight.
Another player, Victor Osimhen, the Napoli striker, also missed the initial training session on Monday. However, he arrived at the camp on Monday night and was able to take part in Tuesday's closed session.
In the meantime, Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has expressed his confidence in the four locally-based players he called up for the Sierra Leone match.
Last week, coach Peseiro included goalkeepers Victor Sochima from Rivers United and Olorunleke Ojo from Enyimba, along with left-back Ebube Duru from Rivers United, who made a comeback, and Divine Nwachukwu, the midfielder from Bendel Insurance, in the 23-man squad.
These four talented players from the domestic league are joined by 19 others from overseas as the Eagles gather in preparation for the upcoming match at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.
"The NPFL Super 6 was a valuable competition for me as it showcased the best teams. While acknowledging the presence of talented players in other teams, I was able to focus on a select few. Although I had the desire to visit various cities to watch NPFL matches, logistical constraints prevented me from doing so. Nevertheless, it was satisfying to witness all the teams in action in Lagos.
"Despite the demanding schedule of five matches in around 10 days, the players displayed their utmost dedication. Congratulations to Enyimba, the champions, and all the other teams," expressed Peseiro.
"As per the regulations, we can only have 19 players from abroad, while the remaining spots are reserved for domestic league players. I carefully selected four players for specific positions, acknowledging that there are other talented individuals in the league for different roles. These four players are all Nigerians, and I have full confidence in their abilities," affirmed the coach.
A victory against the Leone Stars will secure Nigeria's place in the AFCON in Ivory Coast next year, as the Eagles currently lead Group A with nine points. In today's other group match, Guinea-Bissau, trailing Nigeria with seven points, will aim to capitalize on the opportunity to overtake the Eagles as they face Sao Tome and Principe.
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