Super Eagles’ stand-in coach, Dan Amokachi, has tasked all the players currently in camp to brace up for the double-header Grade A international friendly matches against the Elephants of Ivory Coast and the Sudanese national team, the Falcons of Jediane billed for Abu Dhabi next week.
The battle for the final squad of 19 players expected to prosecute the two games got keener yesterday with all the 25 players invited already in camp at the Bolton White Apartment Hotel in Abuja save for Emem Eduok, reported to be in Tunisia to seal his deal with Esperance FC and Igudia Godwin, who replaced Erhun Obanor, currently with the U23 national side.
Amokachi who addressed the players after lunch explained that only 19 of them from the 25 invited to camp will make the trip with current form as yardstick for selection and not sentiments or past appearance in the team’s camp.
The national team assistant gaffer who marked his birthday on Tuesday December 30 in a low key, said he had become wiser as he grows older, assuring that his wealth of coaching experience would show in the forthcoming friendly games against Cote D’ Ivoire and Sudan, even as he acknowledged the huge influence from Stephen Okechukwu Keshi. Meanwhile, Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach, Houandinou Valere, had denied reports that he intended to drag the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland over outstanding salaries.
“People should stop causing unnecessary friction between myself and my employers through insinuations and false reports that I want to take the NFF to CAS. I don’t have such intention and will never do that because we are loyal employees of the NFF” he said in Abuja yesterday.
The Super Eagles had their first work-out at the main bowl of the Abuja National Stadium yesterday evening.
Source: www.sunnewsonline.com
