15th January, 2016
Taiwo Adelu
Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles arrive Kigali, Rwanda Friday just in time to begin their campaign in this year’s Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
CHAN kicks off Saturday and the Eagles will play their first match of the competition on Monday, 18 January.
Immediately the team and the coaching crew led by Sunday Oliseh landed in Kigali, there was no time for rest as they made straight to the field to start training ahead of their first match against Niger.
A tweet on the tweeter handle of the Super Eagles revealed how the team were taken on a light work out by Oliseh in Kigali Friday evening.
“We have settled down to serious business here in Kigali. Coach @SundayOOliseh leads the team out for light work out,” it was tweeted.
It was also disclosed on tweeter that Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ferdinand Nwonye visited the team.
“Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ferdinand Nwonye visited the team in training this evening,” the tweet read.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles arrived in Rwanda 24 hours to kick-off of the 4th African Nations Championship in that country.
A team of 23 players and 12 officials landed at the Kigali International Airport early afternoon, after flying for about three hours from Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport.
The Eagles spent two weeks perfecting pre-Championship strategies and tactics at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria, after spending another two weeks at a training camp in Abuja.
In Pretoria, the team lashed University of Pretoria 3-0, drew 1-1 with 2011 CHAN runners-up Angola and pipped Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in friendlies.
“We have arrived. Everyone is in the mood and there is robust self-belief among the players. They are raring to go,” Super Eagles’ Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye told thenff.com from Kigali.
The 2014 bronze medalists are staying at the Hill View Hotel in Kigali – the same hotel where the foreign-based Super Eagles stayed for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Amavubi four years ago.
The 4th African Nations Championship kicks off on Saturday with host Rwanda taking on Cote d’Ivoire and Gabon locking horns with Morocco at Kigali’s Amahoro Stadium – also the venue for the final match on February 7.
Eagles play the Mena of Niger Republic in their first match of the campaign at the Stade Regional de Nyamirambo, Kigali on Monday, starting from 6pm Rwanda time (4pm Nigeria time).
Nigeria will also play Tunisia – champions of the 2nd edition of the competition in Sudan five years ago – at the same Stade Regional de Nyamirambo on Friday, 22 January, before travelling to Gisenyi to play Guinea at the Rubavu Stadium on Tuesday, 26 January.
In 2014, the home-based Super Eagles lost 1-2 to Mali in the opening match in Cape Town, before defeating Mozambique 4-2 and then thrashing host South Africa 3-1 to reach the quarter -finals.
In the quarter finals, they came back from three goals down to eliminate Morocco 4-3, but lost on penalties to Ghana’s Black Stars in the semi finals.