18 Eagles for Abidjan derby

Only18 players from the 24 presently in camp will make the
trip to Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire for the return leg of the final
round qualifier of the CHAN championship.
Team Secretary, Dayo Enebi Achor, said only 18 players will
be dressed for the encounter and it will be useless taking
more than the required number to Abidjan, as others who have
been in camp with the rest of the squad should have gained
the much needed experience. Twenty players were originally
primed for the trip.
Ivory Coast players AFP PHOTO
The team continued its buildup at the Atro Turf pitch of the
Goal Project in Abuja, with all the 24 players showing
enthusiasm about the possibility of making the final cut for
the Abidjan trip. Keshi has already assured them that there
will be no favouritism in the final selection of players for the
trip as only merit will be the yardstick.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles will on Friday morning at the
FIFA Goal Project site take on Abuja FC in a game primed to
test the readiness of the players for the war against the
Ivorain Elephants in Abdjan.
Team Coordinator, Emmanuel Atta, says Coach, Stephen Keshi
has already approved the game and necessary contacts have
been made for the test match, which will be played on Friday
morning. FC Abuja, features in the second tier of the Nigerian
league and have been described as a very solid side by
several coaches.