Amodu to face Egypt with squad that beat Kenya

“The players showed great mental strength to come from behind in a high pressure game and go in front. And even when they conceded the equaliser, they still showed great mental character to keep going forward and win the game.

“I have always known hat Nigerian players have strong character and the boys proved it in Nairobi. We will build on the strength of that performance for the bigger challenges.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says the Super Eagles will meet CAF’s January 1, 2010 deadline for the submission of final list for the Nations Cup. A top official of the NFF told The Guardian that the body was working with Amodu to ensure that everything was in order before the deadline.

When reminded that the Eagles might not meet the deadline owing to the little time the coaches have to assess the players, the official, who pleaded anonymity, said that about 70 per cent of the players was already known to the board. The Eagles are expected to leave Nigeria for a training camp in Durban, South Africa on the 30th of this month, two days before CAF’s deadline for teams to submit their final lists for the competition.

According to the official, “what Amodu will do when they get to camp is to look at the fitness of those certain to be in the squad and also see if any of the new comers have what it takes to displace the regulars in the team.

“We are not expecting any surprise in camp, but the coaches are ready to accommodate any player who shows he has the extra ingredient needed to break into the team.”