Nigeria’s Super Eagles will slug it out with Taifa Stars of Tanzania on Sunday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo in one of the many AFCON qualifiers scheduled to hold across Africa.
Though the match is a dead rubber considering that both teams have crashed out of the 2017 AFCON, losing the group’s ticket to Egypt, but WuzupNaija gathers that Nigeria’s players in camp are in high spirit to defeat the Tanzanians on home soil.
It is noteworthy that in seven past meetings, Nigeria are yet to lose to Tanzania.
Super Eagles’ players in camp as at Friday evening were Skipper Mikel John Obi, assistant captain Ahmed Musa, goalkeepers Emmanuel Daniel, Carl Ikeme and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Musa Muhammed, Chidozie Awaziem, Abdullahi Shehu, Jamiu Alimi, Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong and Elderson Echiejile, midfielders Ogenyi Onazi, Wilfred Ndidi and Nosa Igiebor and forwards Brown Ideye, Imoh Ezekiel, Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Moses, Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen.
The duo of Moses Simon and Kingsley Madu are still being expected in Uyo.
See some of the photos of the players in camp:
Coach Gernot Rohr will make his official debut as Eagles’ coach against Tanzania after he was appointed as Eagles coach few weeks ago.
The German coach started little known players like Chidozie Awaziem, Wifred Ndidi, Shehu Abdullahi in a 3-0 friendly match victory against Akwa United played on Wednesday.
After the match, Rohr has hinted his desire to give some newly discovered young players a chance to play in the senior national team.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, has rubbished reports that the football house is not going to pay match bonus to the Super Eagles against Tanzania.
“Where did you hear that from? There’s no truth in that,” Sanusi said when asked to confirm that the Eagles would receive no bonus.
“It is just the handiwork of enemies of distraction. The team will get bonus after the game.”
The Super Eagles used to receive a winning bonus of $10,000 but it was reduced to $5,000 after the 2014 World Cup.
In the same vein, Taifa Stars winger Simon Msuva, has told newsmen that they are taking Sunday’s game seriously.
According to Msuva, Tanzania are as good as the Nigerians and they are in Uyo to end their campaign on a good note.
“We have a young team just like Nigeria and we are as good as they are. We showed that in the first leg at home and we can do it on Saturday again. One thing we don’t know is fear and we’ll show it on the pitch on Saturday,” the winger who plays for Young Africans back home boasted to Completesportsnigeria.com.
The Taifa Stars had a feel of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium pitch on Friday evening in preparation for the game on Sunday.
Tanzania sit in last place behind Nigeria in the table.
