Eagles, Serbia test might in London cracker News

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Eagles, Serbia test might in London cracker

By Daily Sports on March 27, 2018

Three days after defeating world number six ranked Poland 1-0 in front of their home fans in Wroclaw, three-time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria, will be up against another Russia 2018 World Cup-bound squad, Serbia. Todayy’s match at The Hive, Canons Park starts at 8pm Nigerian time.

This time, there will be new faces as the Eagles are in London with more playing personnel, following the arrival of strikers Junior Ajayi and Gabriel Okechukwu, as well as midfielder Mikel Agu. Agu was called up owing to the inability of captain Mikel John Obi to travel from China. Midfield workhorse Oghenekaro Etebo, is nursing an injury and it is unclear if he will feature in tonight’s game.

The squad of 26 players and technical and backroom staff are staying at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Ealing.

The Super Eagles contingent flew into chilly London on Saturday and trained at The Hive (home ground of Barnet FC and London Bees) on Sunday morning, as countdown began for the big international friendly.

The match is taking place exactly four days on a year that the Eagles battled to a 1-1 draw with Senegal’s Teranga Lions at the same venue, in a friendly in which the Nigerians matched the taller and stronger Senegalese in all departments, with Kelechi Iheanacho equalising from the penalty spot minutes to the end.

Both the Eagles and the Lions are going to the World Cup in Russia as two of Africa’s five flagbearers.

At the World Cup finals in Russia, Serbia will play five-time champions Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica in Group E, while the Eagles battle Croatia, Iceland and Argentina.

Serbia are ranked 34 in the world by FIFA (18 places above Nigeria), but the Eagles have become accustomed to tearing apart paper ratings and bookmakers’ odds, as they did in dismantling Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia in the African qualifying series.

•Photo courtesy of NFF shows Coach Gernot Rohr passing tips to Super Eagles players during a training session in London ahead of tonight’s match against Serbia.

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 27, 2018