THE Super Eagles will wear black armbands on Friday in honour of two prominent football figures who passed away recently.
Former Nigeria striker Thompson Usiyan snd ex-Nigeria Football Association chairman Dominic Oneya both died recently and will be honoured when the Super Eagles host Liberia in a Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier in Lagos on Friday.
The Confederation of African Football has approved a request by the Nigeria Football Federation for the players to wear black armbands at the match, in honour of Nigeria legend Usiyan, who died in the State of California, USA on Tuesday. Usiyen, and Brigadier-General Oneya, who died early August.
Three-time African champions Super Eagles will look to go to the top of Group C of the African qualifiers when they welcome the Lone Star, who are ranked over 100 places lower by FIFA.
With a win at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Friday, the Super Eagles will go top of the group with three points, following Central African Republic’s draw with Cape Verde on Wednesday.
The Eagles are going in search of their seventh World Cup participation since their debut in 1994, having only missed the 2006 edition since then.
In 17 previous clashes with Liberia, the Super Eagles have won 10, drawn three and lost four.
One of the four losses was in Monrovia in July 2000, when a team led by that country’s current President (George Weah) shot 2-0 ahead before Sunday Oliseh pulled one back in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
As a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic and preventive measures, protocols and guidelines, the Confederation of African Football has allowed that only 5,000 spectators be accommodated at the Teslim Balogun Stadium for the match.
A total of 29 players out of the 30 invited by coach Gernot Rohr for the two games against Liberia and Cape Verde (defender Kevin Akpoguma was knocked out by illness) have been training in Lagos for the matches.
After Friday’s match, the players from the United Kingdom will fly back to base, with the rest travelling to the island of Mindelo on Sunday night for Tuesday’s clash with the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde in a Day 2 encounter.
