Only 5,000 fans to watch Nigeria, Liberia World Cup clash

• FIFA Names Togolese Officials
• Rohr Lists Musa, Ekong, Ndidi, 27 Others

World football –governing body, FIFA has appointed Togolese official, Kouassi Attisso Attiogbe as the referee for next Friday’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying match between Nigeria and Liberia scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The Day 1 clash between the Super Eagles and the Lone Stars will commence at 5pm Nigeria time, with Attiogbe to be assisted on the lines by compatriots Komlan Domenyo Adiwotso (assistant referee 1), Limna Kabassima (assistant referee 2) and Yelebodom Gado Bodjona (fourth official).

FIFA has also appointed Munkaila Nassam Adam from Ghana as match commissioner, while Abdellah El Achiri from Morocco will serve as referee assessor.

The match officials are expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, while the delegation of Lone Star is scheduled to land on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the 5,000 –capacity Estádio Municipal Adérito Sena on the island of Mindelo will host the Day 2 clash between the Super Eagles and the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde.

That game will hold on Tuesday, September 7, with the Super Eagles set to fly out of Lagos aboard a chartered jet on Monday, 6th September and return to Nigeria immediately after the match.

The Confederation of African Football has approved for the NFF to have only 5,000 spectators at next week’s FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Liberia in Lagos. The NFF had applied to have 12,000 spectators at the venue.

Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr had on Thursday, called up a total of 30 players for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign, in which Nigeria will host Liberia in Lagos on Friday, 3rd September (Day 1) and tackle Cape Verde in Mindelo on Tuesday, 7th September (Day 2).

Top on the list are goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho, defenders William Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem and Leon Balogun, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo, and forwards Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon and Victor Osimhen on the roster.

The situation with UK-based players, who may not be heading to Cape Verde (which is on the red list of the British Government with regards to the global coronavirus pandemic) has enlarged the roster, and should the situation remain unchanged, the eight UK-based players on the list would head back to base after the clash with Liberia at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Friday.

There is a return for South Africa-based goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Kevin Akpoguma and Greece-based forward Henry Onyekuru. Former junior international Kingsley Michael is also called, as Innocent Bonke from Sweden joins the Nigerian camp for the first time.

The Super Eagles, who have featured in six of the past seven FIFA World Cup finals, host the Lone Star of Liberia at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Friday, 3rd September (kickoff is 5pm) and then travel to the island of Mindelo to tango with the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde on Day 2 of the series on Tuesday, 7th September.

Central African Republic is the other team in the group, and they will line up for home-and-away encounters with the Super Eagles in October.