SAN FRANCISCO, November 13, (THEWILL) –Â Nigeria senior national men’s team, the Super Eagles will be tested for coronavirus before taking on Sierra Leone in Friday’s first leg of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Gernot Rohr’s charges face the Leone Stars, who are in dire need of a win to keep their Cameroon 2022 ambitions alive as they presently sit at the bottom of the group with only one point from two games so far played.
Prior to facing the John Keister-managed West Africans, players and coaches of the Super Eagles will be subjected to the required medical assessment on Wednesday afternoon. After that, the three-time African champions will have their second training session at the newly renovated Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
Rohr’s men have been primed for this important fixture with international friendlies against reigning African champions Algeria and Tunisia. At their last AFCON appearance, which was the Egypt-hosted event in 2019, the Super Eagles finished third with a lone goal win over the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the bronze medal match.
Keister’s charges, on the other hand, have made a stuttering start to the qualifying campaign, with their sole point coming from a draw against Lesotho. Their last appearance in the biennial African football showpiece (AFCON) was at the 1996 edition staged in South Africa. There, they crashed out of the group stage after just one win and two defeats.
The reverse fixture takes place at the National Stadium Freetown on Tuesday, November 17 with victory for Nigeria guaranteeing them a place in the 2022 AFCON tournament.
The 33rd edition of the biennial competition was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021, but has now been pushed to January 2022 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
