The Nigeria Football Federation reported earlier on Tuesday that a few withdrawals and injuries to a few players have combined to alter the list of players who will play for Nigeria in Friday’s international friendly match against Russia in Moscow.
Six players, including Ola Aina, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho, Sadiq Umar, and Nathan Tella, have all been excused from the squad as the team landed in Moscow on Monday. The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in Russia for their third diversion of the window after their triumph during the Unity Cup in London.
Agreeing to the NFF, Aina pardoned himself from the match, and Coach Chelle had to draft within the Unity Cup team of Sodiq Ismaila and Benjamin Fredericks. To total the resistance line, Captain William Ekong is in Moscow with the likes of Shinning Osayi-Samuel, joining the Unity Cup trio of Bruno Onyemaechi, Semi Ajayi, and Igoh Ogbu.
Also see: Russian Goalkeeper Hails Super Eagles Ahead of Friendly Match
During the midfield section, an injury that occurred to Wilfred Ndidi has handed Enugu Rangers’ player Saviour Isaac the opportunity to shine. Isaac could be part of Team B, which can partake in the African Nations Championship finals in August. He will join the likes of Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Christantus Uche, and Papa Daniel Mustapha to battle for shirts within the center of the pack.
Moreover, Unity Cup pro Chukwueze and Iheanacho have excused themselves to go on with family things, whereas Spain-based Umar has endured an injury. Tella’s United Kingdom visa is experiencing a reestablishment process, so he is unable to travel.
This circumstance has cleared out Chelle with, as it were, Victor Boniface, Simon Moses, and Tolu Arokodare within the attack, and he has had to call up Russia-based former junior international Olakunle Olusegun, who plays for Krasnodar FC.
The goalkeeping division is unaffected as the primary choice, Stanley Nwabali, was not recorded for the trip to begin with, due to the upcoming burial customs for his late guardians. Italy-based Maduka Okoye and Tanzania-based Amas Obasogie will still battle for the Goalkeeper starting shirt. The team, which arrived in Moscow on Monday, will commence preparing sessions on Tuesday.
The match will take place at the 78,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium, which is the biggest football stadium in Russia and the ninth-largest within the entirety of Europe.
