THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will release the list of players that Coach Eric Chelle plans to deploy in Nigeria’s two crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe early next month, officials of the team have said.
The Super Eagles will travel to Kigali to face the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium, in Kigali on Friday, March 21 before coming back home to face Zimbabwe on March 25, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
A top official of the team told The Guardian, yesterday, that the players, technical crew and other officials of the team will start converging on Kigali, on March 16 for the game, which Nigeria must win to retain hopes of qualifying for the World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nigeria is still searching for their first victory in the qualifiers, having recorded three draws and one loss in four matches. Currently, Eric Chelle’s squad sits in fifth place in Group C with three points.
Rwanda lead the group with seven points, followed by South Africa and Benin, who also have seven points but trail on goal difference.
Lesotho occupy fourth place with five points, while Zimbabwe remain at the bottom with two points.
Speaking on the team’s preparation yesterday, the official, who pleaded anonymity, said: “As was the case when we played Benin Republic last year, the players will fly straight to Kigali, starting from March 16, which is a Sunday. The last set of players are expected to arrive on March 18.
“Already, Coach Chelle is in Europe to speak with the players he intends to use or the games and I want to assure you that it will no longer be an all-comers camp.
“What it means is that the coach is looking at only the players that will add value to his team.”
The Guardian learnt that the NFF is currently negotiating with a local airline to facilitate the flight of the members of the team travelling to Kigali from Nigeria, as well as, lifting the squad back to Uyo after the game.
