Late arrivals worry officials as Super Eagles hold first full training session

The Super Eagles had their first full training session last night ahead of tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin Republic in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The session featured 22 out of the 23 invited players, and according to team officials, the Eagles will have their first official session at the match venue, Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, today.

Although there were relieved faces at the arrival of the bulk of the players late yesterday afternoon, some of the officials complained that the players late arrival in camp has disrupted their programme for the game. Before the arrival of 11 new players yesterday afternoon, the camp had only 11 out of the 23 players invited for the game in the morning and therefore the team could not train as earlier planned.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials, Super Eagles coaches, and the sole home-based player, Victor Collins of Nasarawa United, arrived in the Ivorian capital on Sunday, as the team planned to begin training for the game on Monday. But as at Monday, only eight players, including Amas Obasogie, Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, Moses Simon, Bruno Onyemaechi, Samuel Chukwueze, Gabriel Osho and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, had arrived in the camp.

Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Maduka Okoye arrived yesterday, while the NFF hoped that the rest of the players would join their mates before dinner yesterday.
An official of the team told The Guardian, yesterday, that members of the technical crew, led by Interim Manager, Austin Eguavoen, were worried by the attitude of the players to the game, saying that the coaches initially wanted to train at least three times before tomorrow’s game.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The NFF chose to arrange for the