After a seven-day training session in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Super Eagles are expected to arrive in Lagos today and depart for the Africa Cup of Nations tomorrow.
The team assembled in the Gulf nation last week to commence preparation for the AFCON, a move many Nigerians described as a waste of time and resources due to the difference in weather between UAE and Cote d’Ivoire, venue of the AFCON.
The coach Jose Peseiro-led Eagles defeated an Abu Dhabi team 12-0 on Saturday but fell like a pack of cards against the Syli Nationale of Guinea yesterday.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the squad will return to Lagos this evening. They will be joined in Lagos by Kelechi Iheanacho, who could not make the trip to Abu Dhabi due to injury.
The team will depart for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, tomorrow, ahead of their group opening game against Guinea-Bissau on January14.
The Super Eagles are seeking a fourth African title (after wins in 1980, 1994 and 2013). A victory in Cote d’Ivoire will put Nigeria at par with West African arch-rivals Ghana and leave only Egypt (seven wins) and Cameroon (five wins) ahead of them.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles group opponents, Guinea-Bissau have said that they have the materials to cage Nigeria when hostilities begin in Cote d’Ivoire.
Guinea-Bissau became the second team after Morocco to arrive in Cote d’Ivoire for the competition on Sunday.
Shortly after the Djurtus landed at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport in Abidjan,
Coach Baciro Candé stated that his team’s goal is to get past the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Djurtus, who are participating in their fourth Africa Cup of Nations, will face the host nation in the opening game on Saturday at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe.
The 56-year-old coach Candé, who was the first to qualify his nation for the AFCON in 2017, said: “I’m used to that, in the first competition I took part in, we drew the first game against Gabon (1-1).”
He told cafonline.com, “I know that Côte d’Ivoire is stronger than Gabon, but Guinea-Bissau will do its job, slowly”.
Candé said his team are hoping to pull off an upset by making it to the knockout stage for the first time.
“We want to advance past the first round at last. Although our group has formidable opponents in the form of Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, but anything is possible in football.”
