Femi Solaja
Following FIFA’s official confirmation
of all players of the 32 teams that will play at the World Cup in
Russia, Enyimba’s Ikechukwu Ezenwa is to wear Nigeria’s Number one shirt
at the Mundial kicking off in barely nine days from today.
However, Coach Gernot Rohr’s body
language indicates Deportivo La Fabril’s Francis Uzoho is top in the
pecking order of the goalkeepers in Eagles camp. The Franco-German coach
has consistently relied on Uzoho as first choice in all the Russia 2018
warm up games played by the three-time African champions to date.
Ezenwa was between the sticks for the
rest of Nigeria’s qualifying matches when first choice goalkeeper, Carl
Ikeme, was diagnosed with Leukaemia after the game against Swaziland and
Zambia in Ndola.
Uzoho has been allocated the shirt Number 23. The third goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi is to wear shirt Number 16.
According to the tradition in Eagles the
number one choice keeper is to wear purple shirt and shorts while the
second choice will wear orange shirt and shorts. The third goalkeeper in
the pecking order is to don the light grey attire during Russia 2018.
Nigeria’s first opponents at Russia
2018, Croatia , has dropped Matej Mitovic as the final 23-man squad was
announced on deadline day. Coach Zlatko Dalic, who had named one extra
player in his provisional squad yesterday dropped the defender.
Mitrovic had not played for Belgian
champions Club Brugge since April 19 and Dalic said that was one of the
reasons he was dropped.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this,
and since the beginning I was saying that one defender will be removed
and I stuck to that,” Dalic told reporters. “This is my choice and I
stand by it.”
Meanwhile, players and officials of the
Super Eagles are pouring encomiums on the Nigeria Football Federation
(NFF) for doing the needful to secure the world-renowned Avita Resort in
Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria for the team’s final camping programme
before the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
“This place makes a whole lot of sense. I
am truly impressed. The Nigeria Football Federation has improved so
many things around the team, in terms of organization and logistics.
“Whoever choses this place paid attention to details. We are happy here,” Captain John Mikel Obi said yesterday at the camp.
The Super Eagles, arrived the Avita
Resort on Sunday evening after the 2-1 defeat it suffered in a tune-up
game against England at the Wembley Stadium to a very warm reception by
the people of Bad Tatzmannsdorf. They are to spend eight days at the
resort perfecting strategies for the FIFA World Cup finals.
On Wednesday morning, the Eagles will
travel the one-hour distance by road to Vienna, where they play the
Czech Republic at the Rudolf Tonn Stadion. They will return to the
resort immediately after the match
EAGLES AND THEIR SHIRT NUMBERS
23 – Francis Uzoho
16 – Daniel Akpeyi
1 – Ikechukwu Ezenwa
5 – William Troost-Ekong
6 – Leon Balogun
12 – Shehu Abdullahi
2 – Bryan Idowu
21 – Tyronne Ebuehi
20 – Chidozie Awaziem
22 – Kenneth Omeruo
3 – Elderson Echiejile
17 – Ogenyi Onazi
4 – Wilfred Ndidi
19 – John Ogu
15 – Joel Obi
10 – John Mikel Obi
8 – Oghenekaro Etebo
18 – Alex Iwobi
14 – Kelechi Iheanacho
9 – Odion Ighalo
13 – Simeon Nwankwo
7 – Ahmed Musa
11 – Victor Moses
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