…as 19 eagles arrive at camp
The Portuguese national team started preparing for the friendly against the Super Eagles at the Cidade do Futebol in Lisbon, PUNCH the reports
Our correspondent learned that 26 players, including Manchester United star, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Pepe trained under Fernando Santos on Monday.
Rui Patrico, Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Antonio Silva, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes are also among the players who took part in the training session.
“The Portuguese team started training on Monday (friendly for Nigeria) with all the players listed in the World Cup squad,” said Portuguese journalist Diogo André. PUNCH.
“All Portuguese people are looking forward to the game as more than 44,000 tickets have already been sold for the game.”
Meanwhile, 11 Super Eagles players also trained in Alges on Monday ahead of the international friendly against the Portuguese on Thursday, four others namely Frank Onyeka, Terem Moffi, Chidozie Awaziem and Bright Osayi-Samuel joined the squad later to increase the number of Nigerians in the camp. to the 15
The match, the first meeting between the two countries, will take place at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon on Thursday.
The players who trained under coach Jose Peseiro are William Troost-Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Kevin Akpoguma, Oghenekaro Etebo, Bruno Onyemaechi, Ebube Duru, Emmanuel Dennis, Paul Onuachu, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo.
“Portugal vs Nigeria International Friendly. Update! In camp: Ekong, Iwobi, Onyemaechi, Akpoguma, Etebo, Duru, Dennis, Onuachu, Lookman, Bassey, Aribo.
Other players are expected to arrive on Tuesday,” the Nigeria Football Federation tweeted on Monday.
The Eagles, who are looking for their first win in a FIFA Grade A friendly this year, are without injured pair Victor Osimhen and Olisa Ndah for the senior friendly.
According to the NFF, Cyriel Dessers, who recently recovered from injury, was called up to replace Osimh, while Chidozie Awaziem – Nigeria’s top scorer in Europe with four goals – takes Ndah’s place.
Osimhen is the top scorer in Italy’s Serie A with nine goals in 11 games, and has scored six goals in his last five games.
He also has three assists to his name and has scored once in the UEFA Champions League.
