Ekong, Lookman, eight other Eagles begin training in Uyo

Super Eagles’ Captain, William Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Taiwo Awoniyi and Olisa Ndah were among the first players to arrive in the national team’s Uyo camp, at the weekend, ahead of Saturday’s Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin Republic.

Nigeria will host the Cheetahs at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Saturday, and travel to the Southern African country three days later to meet Rwanda in their second game of the qualifying series.

The seven players trained at the stadium before they were joined in their camp by the trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Amas Obasogie and Victor Boniface. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said that most of the invited players for the games would arrive in Uyo yesterday as the country gears up for the clash against the Cheetahs, who beat the Super Eagles 2-1 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier a couple of months ago in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The federation also announced that Super Eagles Coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has selected Enugu Rangers’ head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu and Daniel Ogunmodede, of Remo Stars to assist him plot the downfall of the Cheetahs of Benin Republic and the Amavubi of Rwanda.

Ilechukwu led the Flying Antelopes to triumph in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) last season, with Ogunmodede’s Remo Stars in second place. They will be joined in Uyo, by Tomaz Zorec, a fitness trainer from Slovenia, goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa, and match analyst, Eboboritse Uwejamomere.
According to the NFF, after Saturday’s game with Benin Republic scheduled to kick off by 5.00 p.m., the Super Eagles will depart for Kigali, on Sunday, for Tuesday’s Match Day 2 clash with the Amavubi (Bees) of Rwanda, at the Amahoro Stadium. The match will begin from 3.00 p.m. Rwanda time (2.00 p.m. Nigeria time).