As preparations gets underway for the crucial 2021 AFCON double header qualifier between Nigeria and Sierra Leone, some players have arrived the Super Eagles camp ahead of the encounter.
Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Maduka Okoye, Oghenekaro Etebo and Paul Onuachu were the early birds to hit the Super Eagles camp.
The three-time African champions will battle Sierra Leone in the first leg expected to take place on Friday at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City.
However, there were few changes to the initial list of 24 players invited by Coach Gernot Rohr due to reported injuries and subsequent late call ups.
Thus, Super Eagles will be without Nantes winger Moses Simon and Midtylland’s Frank Onyeka due to injuries and they have been replaced by Paul Onuachu and Shehu Abdullahi.
Ahmed Musa explained he was supposed to be in camp along with his other teammates on Sunday but couldn’t get a flight early enough.
“We are supposed to be in camp today but we didn’t get a flight, the flight is fully booked, and then we have a schedule for a flight tomorrow so everybody is expected to be in Benin tomorrow,” Musa told the media.
The Franco-German tactician is expected to have a full house on Wednesday, as more players are expected to arrive on Tuesday for the encounter.
The game at Ogbemudia Stadium will be played behind closed doors in adherence to directives from the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
“Playing without our ever-supportive fans at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia stadium will not affect our games both in Benin City and Freetown,” he continued.
“It’s quite a pity that Edo fans will miss the opportunity of seeing us play live because of the pandemic but we shall try to win for them.
“For me and the team it is a very sad [playing without fans] moment because playing in Benin in the hometown of my mom, I’d love to see my family members watch but there is nothing we can do because of the situation in the country with the pandemic so we have to play like that,” the former Leicester City forward said.
Nigeria tops Group L with six points from two games after victories over the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.
The return fixture will be played in Freetown on November 17 and victories in the games for the Super Eagles could see them book a place in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
