The Super Eagles camp in Uyo now has the full complement of the 23 players invited for the crucial World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic.
The arrival of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, the last player expected, was confirmed on Thursday morning through the Super Eagles’ official X page.
“Update: All 23 players are now in camp #soarsupereagles”, the short statement on the page read.
Update: All 23 players are now in camp #soarsupereagles pic.twitter.com/ovwQxxLHiH
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) June 6, 2024
The planning for Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and South Africa has endured challenging logistics, with many of the players finding it difficult to get to Uyo after landing in Nigeria from their various bases.
Italy-based Okoye was the only invited player not in camp for lunch on Wednesday but was already in Nigeria and booked for a flight out of the Federal Capital.
Majority of the match officials were also booked for flights out of the Federal Capital, with only referee assessor Ahmed Sayed Abou Elela from Egypt due to arrive in Nigeria on Thursday.
ALSO READ: Stranded Super Eagles players now in Uyo, NFF official confirms
The nationwide industrial action that began on Monday threw general planning for the big match off-gear, and the Nigeria Football Federation had to opt for chartered jet arrangements to get players stranded in Lagos and Abuja down to the Akwa Ibom State capital.
With only two points from their first two qualifying games, the Super Eagles are playing catch-up in the race to reach the 2026 World Cup.
However, despite the troubled preparations, the players remain confident they can turn things around with the right results in their upcoming fixtures on matchdays 3 and 4.
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