Nigeria coach Gernort Rohr hopes the international friendlies against West African rivals Senegal and Burkina Faso will help strengthen his side’s physical resolve.
West African countries are traditionally respected for the strength and power of their players, but Rohr does not feel the Super Eagles can currently match some of their regional rivals.
Nigeria played to a 1-1 draw (Kelechi Iheanacho netted an 82nd-minute equaliser from the penalty spot to cancel out Musa Sow’s 54th-minute opener) in an international friendly against Senegal in London on Thursday night.
The Super Eagles are set to take on another West African nation, Burkina Faso, in a friendly game scheduled for England’s capital on Monday 27 March.
After that their attention turns to the World Cup qualifiers. The Super Eagles lead Group B after beating Zambia and Algeria in the first two matches. Next up are back-to-back games against 2017 Africa Cup of Nations champions Cameroon, who are second in Group B, but have only managed two draws so far.
The consecutive games against the Indomitable Lions the may well decide who books their place at the 2018 World Cup and as such Rohr wants to be as prepared as possible.
“We chose Senegal to prepare us for a physical Cameroon. We don’t have the power of Senegal but we are learning and getting there,” he said after the Senegal encounter.
Of more immediate concern is the fitness of two players who limped off injured against the Teranga Lions.
“[Ogenyi] Onazi suffered a serious back injury. He’ll have a scan to ascertain the extent of his injury. We’ll observe [Ahmed] Musa to.”
Source – Kwese sports
