A HIGH-powered delegation of the Nigeria Football Federation and the sports ministry will meet with Super Eagles players in Britian as the team get set for the Qatar 2022 playoffs.
The Nigerian side will face Ghana in late March in the final qualifying round of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The first leg is billed for Cape Coast on 24 March and the reverse fixture in Abuja three days later.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick revealed in a series of tweets his plans towards ensuring the Super Eagles qualify for their seventh World Cup ahead of their bitter rivals.
“We will be leading a delegation to the United Kingdom soon, led by the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, to hold meetings with our players,” Pinnick revealed. “I’m so glad the Honourable Minister is leading this delegation himself, highlighting how important the World Cup is to us and our team. The support is invaluable.”
Several Super Eagles players are based in the United Kingdom, including Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman, whose switch of nationality from England to Nigeria was approved by FIFA on Thursday.
Other Super Eagles players in the UK include Watford’s William Troost-Ekong, Oghenekaro Etebo and Emmanuel Dennis as well as Everton’s Alex Iwobi, Brentford’s Frank Onyeka and Rangers trio Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey.
Pinnick noted that he and the minister will speak with other players too and insisted that qualifying for Qatar is ‘non-negotiable’.
“We are also hoping to have a zoom call with all of our players as well,” he added. “The essence is to ensure that issues any player might have is thrashed out so that we all have the same focus: qualifying for the World Cup.
“Qatar 2022, in my opinion, is non-negotiable. Qualifying for the World Cup is our plan. Qualifying for next year’s AFCON is also built into our future plans. We will succeed, God willing.”
Pinnick also praised head coach Austin Eguavoen and his crew for the Eagles’ performance at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in January, despite their disappointing elimination in the round of 16.
“I would like to thank our magnificent group of players, technical team and backroom staff for their stellar work at the just concluded 33rd AFCON,” he wrote. “We played that competition to win it, but sometimes, you also need a bit of luck after three wins on the continent.
“Congratulations to the Teranga Lions of Senegal as well. We will see you at the finals of the next Nations Cup.”
Odion Ighalo, who retired after emerging as the top scorer at the 2019 AFCON only to reverse his decision close to the delayed 2021 edition, was unable to play in Cameroon because of a clause in his contract with Al Shabab.
The striker has now left Al Shabab for fellow Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, and Pinnick is keen for the former Watford and Manchester United star to be involved in the playoffs.
“I would like to stress that qualifying for the Qatar World Cup is non-negotiable and we are doing everything possible to ensure this happens,” the NFF President and FIFA Council member emphasised.
“I just met with Jude Ighalo, the highest goalscorer at the 2019 edition of the AFCON, now playing and still scoring goals for Saudi Arabia’s biggest football club. Odion has assured that playing for his country will always come first and he is ready to ensure that we do play at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
