Mikel
Obi, Shola Ameobi, Bright Dike, John Ogu, and James Okwuosa are some of
the Super Eagles players that had arrived in Calabar by noon on Tuesday
for the World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes. The
match is billed for the U.J. Esuene Stadium on Saturday.
A close associate of Mikel spoke with The PUNCH soon after the Chelsea midfielder arrived at the Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel where the Eagles are accommodated.
He said, “Yes he’s (Mikel) in town now. We just arrived at the hotel just a while ago.”
Chippa United of South Africa central
defender, Okwuosa, was however the first player amongst those based
outside Nigeria to arrive in Calabar. But by midday Victor Moses had
joined the first set. The Liverpool attacker got in just ahead of
Godfrey Oboabona and Nnamdi Oduamadi. Elderson Echejile joined his mates
while they were already at training at the stadium, Eagles managers
confirmed.
It is hoped that Wednesday training would
record a full house of all the players called-up for the game.
Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation have largely blamed flight
problems as the major cause for the delay for the players heading to
Calabar from Lagos and Abuja. But The PUNCH check with a
Calabar-based travel agent showed that it is little better getting a
seat on flights this period compared to the period Eagles played against
Kenya when only one airline was flying into the city as a result of
problems in the Nigerian aviation industry.
And as Stephen Keshi prepares the Eagles
for the last battle on the way to Brazil 2014, Ethiopian striker Getaneh
Kebede has returned to the national team. The 21-year-old Bidvest Wits
of South Africa player missed the first leg in Addis Ababa, which ended
in victory to Nigeria, because of a knee injury. The return of the fast
attacker is seen as a boost to Wayla Antelopes.
Under coach Sewinet Bishaw the player is standing as the joint top scorer. BBC
correspondent in Addis Ababa confirmed that striker Saladin Seid and
midfielder Shimels Bekele are also in the squad to face Nigeria. Getaneh
trained on Monday along with his team-mates, who are mostly home-based
players. The Ethiopians are expected to arrive in Nigeria on Thursday
although they seem not too keen giving the Nigerian FA a very definite
schedule.
The Eagles had defeated the Ethiopians
2-1 in the first leg of the play-offs in Addis Ababa last month. The
Ethiopians need at least a 2-0 margin win over Nigeria in Calabar to
secure the ticket to Brazil while a simple draw is all the Nigerians
need to book a place for the 2014 World Cup finals.
PUNCH
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