Ahead of Nigeria’s participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, team captain Ahmed Musa, England-based midfielder Alex Iwobi, and 15 other stars touched down at the team’s training base in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday.
Kasimpasa defender Kenneth Omeruo, who, like Musa, was a member of the Super Eagles side that last won the AFCON in 2013, Moses Simon, Joe Aribo, Chidozie Awaziem, Semi Ajayi, and Calvin Bassey are the other senior members of the team to have arrived at the camp.
Other arrivals include Enyimba goalkeeper and the only home-based player in the squad, Olorunleke Ojo, Ola Aina, Ademola Lookman, Frank Onyeka, Bruno Onyemaechi, Zaidu Sanusi, Victor Boniface, Raphael Onyedika, and Bright Osayi-Samuel.
????❗️Afcon camp update: Players in camp #soarsupereagles #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/cJf6gWmPwr
— ???????? Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 3, 2024
Ten more players are expected to join up with this group, including Royal Antwerp midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, who has been called up to replace the injured Wilfried Ndidi.
Following permission from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Samuel Chukwueze will arrive at the camp later than the others, having featured in AC Milan’s clash against Cagliari in the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia on Tuesday, January 2.
The players in camp will have their first training session on Wednesday evening as they gear up for a week-long intensive session before returning to Nigeria on Tuesday, January 9, and jetting to Ivory Coast a day later.
The Super Eagles will begin their hunt for a fourth AFCON title with a meeting against Equatorial Guinea on January 14, before facing host nation Ivory Coast four days later and Guinea-Bissau on January 22.
