Super Eagles are anxiously awaiting their World Cup destiny, as 44 players have been invited to meet with their new coach, Lars Lagerback in London next week.
Lagerback will be having words with the players on April 27 and there are concerns already on how the former Sweden coach will prune down the list with barely a month left to decide who will make his squad to the Mundial in South Africa.
The shortlist has generated mixed reactions among the Nigerian soccer fans and the bigger challenge for the new handler remains how well he hopes to get the best from the 44 players to make the final team within the short period. The invited players will have to travel from their respective clubs across Europe and Nigeria to meet up with the appointment in London next Tuesday but it is unclear whether the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has done enough to secure assurances for the players’ release since it is not a FIFA free day.
NEXTSports learnt from a source close to the NFF that Lagerback’s meeting with the players may also involve training sessions after it emerged that some Eagles’ backroom staff will also be making the trip to London.
One of the invited players who spoke to NEXTSports is already anticipating a possible screening on the pitch after confirming his club has received his invitation for the meeting in London. “I don’t know much about what will be expected of us at the meeting. We will have to wait and see. But of course I will be travelling with my kits because I heard the team’s curator will also be in London. So there is probably a chance that we could have a training session during the trip,” said the Eagles player who preferred anonymity.
Expectation
“Everybody is just looking forward to the meeting but from the list, it is clear that you will have to put up a brave fight to make the squad within the little time we have. Lagerback must have relied on some information from his Nigerian assistants to arrive at the list and that means one will have to work extra hard to convince him because he doesn’t have too much time to make his decision on the World Cup final list,” said the Eagles star.
Olympique Marseille of France star, Taye Taiwo may face some resistance over his release from his club who are concentrating on winning their first French Premier League title since 1993. Marseille will be hoping to have the powerful left back available to prepare for their Ligue 1 clash at AJ Auxerre on April 30 and that will be difficult if the Eagles will stay in London for more than one day. Players like Osaze Odemwingie who is playing for Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia will also have to face a long trip to London to meet up with the Lagerback appointment.
The Eagles will not be assembling for their pre-World Cup camping until the middle of May when the European season will come to an end and Lagerback will have to decide on his squad before the month runs out.
Nigeria will play against Argentina on June 12 in their group B opening game in Johannesburg and our Eagles will also come up against Greece and South Korea in their bid to secure a place in the knock out stages of the World Cup.
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