Nigeria have been hit by withdrawals as they prepare for one of two warm-up friendlies they will play before they host South Africa in the African Nations Cup qualifiers on June 10.
Nigeria have began training for the match in Uyo‚ which marks the start of the bid to qualify for the 2019 finals in Cameroon‚ with a training camp in France and on Friday will play a friendly against a regional selection from the French island of Corsica.
But Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has seen strikers Ahmed Musa‚ Moses Simon‚ Olarenwaju Kayode and Henry Onyekuru withdrawing because of injury or club commitments while Victor Osimhem has to play in the Bundesliga promotion-relegation play-off match with VfL Wolfsburg.
- Baxter mulls his Bafana dream teamNew Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter is to name "warriors" in his first squad with Itumeleng Khune and Dean Furman forming the backbone of his selection for the match against Nigeria next month.
Nigeria already have to do without Ola Aina of Chelsea and Alex Iwobi of Arsenal‚ who are staying at their clubs as previously arranged after Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
Rohr did not call up Victor Moses for the training camp of the two friendlies.
- Bafana get chance to defend Cosafa Cup title at home in the North WestThe North West provides the infrastructure‚ the facilities and of course the financial incentive to host the Cosafa Cup‚ Danny Jordaan has said explaining why the competition has returned to the province.
Leon Balogun‚ the German-born right back from Mainz‚ is also doubtful for Friday’s game after being hurt in the last round of Bundesliga matches last weekend
Nigeria’s match on Friday in Ajaccio is followed by a second warm-up friendly against Togo in Paris on June 1.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 