African best footballer and Napoli of Italy star striker Victor Osimhen, Nottingham Forest of England forward Taiwo Awoniyi and the dou of Tyronne Ebuehi and Gabriel Osho have all been ruled out of the Super Eagles’ friendlies against Ghana and Mali.
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirm this in a statement signed by its director of communication, Ademola Olajiri and shared with Media Houses on Tuesday, saying the quartet will not be available for the friendlies due to Injuries.
12 players are already at the team’s Adam Park Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco.
The players at the camp in Marrakech are goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Olorunleke Ojo, defenders Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Jamilu Collins, Bruno Onyemaechi and Benjamin Tanimo, midfielders Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika and Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Moses Simon, Nathan Tella, Cyriel Dessers, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Sadiq Umar and Ademola Lookman.
Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, defender Chidozie Awaziem, midfielders Frank Onyeka and Wilfred Ndidi, and forward Kelechi Iheanacho were being expected at the team’s training camp at time of filling in this report on Tuesday. Only Turkey-based defender Bright Osayi-Samuel is being expected on Wednesday.
The 2023 AFCON runners up will square up against the Black Stars of Ghana on Friday before lock horns with the Les Aigles of Mali at the same Grand Stade de Marrakech on Tuesday, 26th March.
Former Nigerian forward Finidi George will occupy the chief’s corner in the dugout when the Super Eagles confront West African arch-rivals Ghana and Mali in friendlies in Marrakech, Morocco.
The 52-year-old former Ajax and Real Betis winger, who made a scoring debut for Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Burkina Faso in 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.
On his debut in 1991, George, who also featured for Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC in the domestic scene before heading to Europe, scored one and made four assists for legendary ‘goalsfather’ Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory), and also assisted the latter to score Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA on 19th June 1994.
Actually, George scored the goal that took Nigeria to her first FIFA World Cup finals, when he put Nigeria ahead against hosts Algeria in a crucial qualifier in Algiers on 8th October 1993. The match eventually ended 1-1 and earned Nigeria a ticket to the finals in America.
The former Enyimba of Aba gaffer will bellow instructions from the touchline, 21 months after he began to understudy Portuguese José Santos Peseiro, who led the Eagles to runner-up position at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year.
