World CUP QUALIFIERS Eagles’ Camp in Morocco Bubbles with 21 Players for Liberia

*Ighalo expected today, Enyimba’s Noble on Thursday

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Ahead of Saturday’s 2022 World Cup qualifying clash with Liberia, Super Eagles camp in Tangier, Morocco, came alive on Tuesday as 21 players kicked of training for the Group C cracker.

Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, was expected to hit camp late last night after missing the first training session in the afternoon while returnee Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia striker, Odion Ighalo, is scheduled to arrive Tangier today.

Only Enyimba’s goalkeeper, John Noble, who was late replacement for Francis Uzoho will join the team on Thursday.

Before the afternoon training at the Grand Stade de Tanger (also known as Stade Ibn Batouta), a 45,000-capacity facility that was opened in April 2011, Super Eagles had a gym session at the hotel in the morning.

Speaking shortly after the training, Super Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, expressed his excitement with the swift response by his wards which resulted in 21 players on the first day the camp opened.

“We are having great feelings here with the players. Some of them played for their clubs some two three days ago but are here. I have seen some good shootings and goals at training. We are not pushing too hard because of fear of injuries,’ observed the German gaffer.

He said that with only John Noble expected on Thursday, the team will be complete when Osimhen and Ighalo (who is expected today) join the squad for training today.

Nigeria on nine points will be hoping to snap up all three points while hoping that Cape Verde drop points in the group’s other game against Central African Republic to smoothen Eagles path to picking the sole ticket at stake.

Only the group winners will proceed to the knockout phase in March next year that will be a home-and-away exercise to produce Africa’s five flagbearers in Qatar.

Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks, who hosts Central African Republic in Mindelo on Saturday, have seven points and will be hoping the Super Eagles stumble in Morocco.

Nigeria reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals with a match to spare; a feat repeated in the qualifying series for the 2019 AFCON.

For the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, the Super Eagles qualified with two matches to spare.