The absence of the first choice goalkepper of the senior national team of Nigeria Maduka Okoye was a cause for concern as the team build up to the World Cup playoff against Ghana.

Okoye the only goalkepper who is a regular has been ruled out of the game with an unspecified illness leaving the team in the hands of two senior goalkeppers in Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi. John Noble of Enyimba was called up as his replacement.

All three goalkeppers have struggled for game time since the start of the year with Akpeyi yet to taste action for over a month while Uzoho has kept goal just three times since January. Noble only recently reclaimed his spot as first choice.

However such fears were laid to rest during yesterday’s training with Uzoho proving that he is more than capable to fill up for the absence of Okoye in goal in tomorrow’s game during yesterday’s session.

After stopping just one of six spot kicks from Odion Ighalo and losing $200 in the process , he made atonement for it by stopping three spot kicks from same player. He also made a stupendous save from a well hit freekick from Emmanuel Dennis.

Uzoho didn’t stop there as he showed good reflex and reaction to twice deny Victor Osimhen a clear chance at goal. He was also very good in dealing with shot during the shooting session. His ball distribution was all very much up there during the course of a practice match.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria yesterday had their final training session ahead of Friday’s World Cup playoff game against Ghana in Kumasi.

Under the watch of interim coach of the team Austine Eguavoen, the team trained for close to two hours with all invited players available to the coaches for the first time since camp opened on Monday.

After the usual warm up exercise, the goalkeppers were taken to one section of the pitch where they were made to undergo specific drills under the supervision of goalkepper’s coach Alloy Agu.

Coach Emmanuel Amuneke who has been very much involved in the training of the team took the outfield players on certain technical sessions focused on ball possession in tight areas.

They were later involved in a practice match which lasted for close to an hour and ended in a 2-1 draw with goals from Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman from the spot handing their team the win. Odion Ighalo got the other goal.

Chukwueze in particular showed he still has the quick feet that made him a delight at U17 level for Nigeria as he weaved his way past four players to open scoring in the session.

Moses Simon ensured his team didn’t fall behind for long as his well timed pass felled kindly for Odion Ighalo to draw his team level. Lookman however had the last laugh.

A quick combination of play between the lively Emmanuel Dennis and Victor Osimhen created space for the Napoli man to wreck havoc but just before he could, Leon Balogun hacked him down.

Lookman stepped up and dispatch the spot kick past Francis Uzoho with ease. He also came close to scoring twice with Simon who was a thorn in the flesh of Ola Aina setting him up on both occasions.

Aside the goal scorers, Watford star Emmanuel Dennis had a very brilliant session, dribbling with ease, setting up players and also converted almost all of the chances he was given during a drill on goal scoring.

The senior national team of Nigeria yesterday had what can be said to be their first real training session with all invited players taking part in the close to two hours drills ahead of Friday’s first leg World Cup playoff against Ghana.

Although it was held behind close doors, OwnGoalNigeria.com was however granted access to watch the Super Eagles train with coach Austine Eguavoen and his assistants taking charge of the session.

Below are the the five things we noticed:

Lively, Settled And Deadly Ademola Lookman- He only arrived the camp of the team in the morning but the Leicester City winger looked very sharp in training and converted a spot kick with ease after Victor Osimhen was brought down by Leon Balogun.

He also doesn’t act like a player who is new in the team as he interacts freely with other players, crack jokes and also took pictures with the few spectators who watched the team. He will no doubt play some part on Friday.

Amoo As Ten – Akinkumi Amoo who is traditionally a winger although can also play in the role behind the striker ended the session playing the latter. He was behind top striker in Osimhen in a two aside game. All through the session he didn’t get to play from the wings.

Bassey Favourite To Start Over Zaidu – FC Porto Zaidu Sanusi is facing his stiffest battle yet in his bid to be the first choice left back for tomorrow’s game. For the major drills and also test match. It was the quartet of Leon Balogun, William Troost Ekong, Ola Aina and Calvin Bassey who were used as the back four.

Zaidu though was very lively and no doubt making it tough for the coaches to pick  Bassey without a second thought.

Ighalo Struggling With Pace In Attack – The pace with which the team attacked with in training left Odion Ighalo lost. The wingers and forwards were all at various intervals at different wavelength with the Al Hilal forward. He was however very commanding in finishing off balls in the box. He surely can score.

Amuneke Is The Busiest Coach In Training- The newly appointed chief coach isn’t there to make up the numbers. He has been very much involved and handled yesterday’s morning session all by himself. He has the trust of the interim technical adviser to conduct certain drills during training.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria yesterday started training ahead of Friday’s first leg world cup playoff against Ghana in Kumasi with 21 players taking part in the session held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.

Coaches of the team led by interim technical adviser Austine Eguavoen were all on ground to supervise the session which lasted for almost two hours.

It involved the usual warm up drills and exercises to loosen the players up with many arriving yesterday and in need of a drill to help put them in the groove for serious drills.

After the light exercises, the players were splitter into two groups with a section wearing red bibs while another were in green, Kelechi Iheanacho was given the yellow bib as he played as the neutral man.

The drill involves not touching the ball more than twice in tight spaces with emphasis on retaining possession even in tight areas. Pass, move and receive was the word used more often by new head coach of the team Emmanuel Amuneke, who supervised the drill.

Below is how they were lined up during the course of the drill.

Red: Ekong Osimhen, Musa, Bassey, Shehu, Moses, Etebo, Onyeka, Kenneth,

Yellow: Iheanacho,

Green: Ighalo, Semi, Dennis, Bonke, Aina, Zaidu, Balogun, Aribo, Samu,

The senior national team of Nigeria had their first real training session ahead of the first leg of their world cup playoff against Ghana in Kumasi.

Nigeria started training yesterday for the Friday game with 21 players put through their paces by the technical crew led by interim technical adviser of the team Austine Eguavoen.

After the traditional shake up and stretching drills, newly appointed head coach of the team Emmanuel Amuneke showed he is not in the team to make up the numbers as he took them on a drill that is solely on retaining possession in tight areas.

The drill involved players playing in an enclosed areas with specific instructions not to touch the ball more than twice. The idea is for players to pass and move in tight spaces and it was supervised by Amuneke. Paul Aigbogun also assisted.

During the drill, Emmanuel Dennis of Watford was particularly impressive with deft touches, swift moves and also quick feet to evade markers and also keep possession.

Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City was also very lively with the manner which he picks out his teammates in tight corners drawing applause. Moses Simon was another who excelled in the drill.

The Nantes winger used dummies to help keep possession, moved really well and also nutmeg two players in quick succession much to the delight of Amuneke who looked pleased with what he saw from the players in general.

21 players in the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria will later today observe the first training session of the team ahead of the first leg of their world cup playoff against Ghana on Friday.

Today around 6:30pm Nigerian time, they will observe their first real training session at the Moshood Abiola Stadium under the eyes of the technical crew of the team led by Austine Eguavoen who retains his position as interim technical adviser.

Victor Osimhen of Italian Serie A side Napoli arrived the camp to swell the number to 21. He is coming into the game in his best form ever after scoring back to back brace in the Serie A against Verona and Udinese respectively.

Nigeria will however be without Sparta Rotterdam goalkepper Maduka Okoye who has been ruled out due to an unspecified illness. He has been replaced by Enyimba’s goalkepper John Noble. Noble too isn’t fully fit as he went out of their 0-0 draw against Wikki Tourist in the 70th minute with an injury.

Meanwhile the one player yet to arrive the camp of the team is Leicester City winger Ademola Lookman with reports circulating that he has pulled out of the game with an unspecified illness. There is still no official confirmation.

Below is the list of the 21 players in camp:

Update! Victor Osimhen is here. 21 players in camp…Ekong, Balogun, Ajayi, Aina, Onyeka, Ighalo, Akpeyi, Musa, Etebo, Iheanacho, Abdullahi, Uzoho, Simon, Dennis, Aribo, Bassey, Bonke, Omeruo, Sanusi, Chukwueze, Osimhen.

The first choice goalkepper of the senior national team of Nigeria Maduka Okoye won’t be available for Nigeria in their playoff against Ghana.

Okoye was ruled out earlier today with an undefined illness not specifi if it is Covid 19 or otherwise. His spot has been handed to Enyimba’s goalkepper John Noble who was Injured during the weekend.

The goalkepper was substituted during the course of Enyimba’s 0-0 draw against Wikki Tourist in Bauchi after a lengthy treatment following a knock he received. However there is no information on if he has recovered.

Even if he is injured, the onus to man the post for Nigeria in the first leg on Friday and possibly the second leg in Abuja on the 29th will fall on Francis Uzoho, who is the second choice goalkepper of the team.

Nigeria will have their first full training session later today at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja. 18 players are expected to take part in the session.

Following the arrival of Kenneth Omeruo to the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their World Cup playoff game against Ghana, a total of 18 players are now in the camp of the team.

Today was fixed as deadline for the arrival of players by the technical crew of the team as they will depart for Ghana on Thursday for the first of the two leg tie against Ghana. The game will be played on Friday in Kumasi.

The team will have their first training session later today with six of the invited players expected to have joined up before then. Except maybe Sadiq Umar who played a game yesterday night for Almeria.

Victor Osimhen, Zaidu Sanusi, Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman, Maduka Okoye and Akinkumi Amoo are the other players yet to arrive the camp of the team as at the time of this report.

Below is the list of players in camp already.

William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Semi Ajayi, Ola Aina, Frank Onyeka, Odion Ighalo, Daniel Akpeyi, Ahmed Musa, Oghenekaro Etebo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Shehu Abdullahi, Francis Uzoho, Moses Simon, Emmanuel Dennis, Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Innocent Bonke, Kenneth Omeruo.

The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria came alive this morning with the arrival of more of the invited players for the world cup playoff against Ghana on Friday.

Super Eagles are holding a training camp in Abuja before making the trip to Kumasi on Thursday for the first leg of the tie which will take place on Friday. The return leg will be on the 29th in Nigeria.

Ahead of the start of training this evening, the quartet of Innocent Bonke, Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Emmanuel Dennis swelled the number in camp to 17. They arrived just in time to beat the deadline set by the technical crew.

Below is the list of players already in the camp.

William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Semi Ajayi, Ola Aina, Frank Onyeka, Odion Ighalo, Daniel Akpeyi, Ahmed Musa, Oghenekaro Etebo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Shehu Abdullahi, Francis Uzoho, Moses Simon, Emmanuel Dennis, Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Innocent Bonke