Nigeria’s Super Eagles B which will face Rwanda in January during the CHAN Morocco 2018 Tournament
Rwanda’s Group C opponents Nigeria’s Super Eagles B have moved camp to Abuja for the next phase of preparations for the forthcoming 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) taking place in Morocco from 13th January 2018.
Rwanda is pooled in Group C alongside Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Libya.
According to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the first phase of preparations ended in Kano on Sunday with the team emerging victorious at the NPFL Invitational Super Six Tournament after outscoring CAF Champions League representatives MFM FC of Lagos 3-2 in the final.
In earlier matches, they drew 0-0 with League champions Plateau United and pipped two –time African champions Enyimba FC 1-0.
Plateau United of Jos as well as other Nigerian flag-bearers n the continent, Enyimba of Aba and Akwa United of Uyo, alongside the host city’s beloved Kano Pillars took part in the tourney.
Immediately after Sunday’s win, Coach Salisu Yusuf said that preparations would move into the second phase where some of the lapses seen in the team would be corrected and some fresh players called up.
“I am very impressed with the team. We did not have any elaborate preparation before the Super Six tournament and yet these boys raised their game, improved with every match and won the trophy. I congratulate them but this is the beginning of real hard work for us.
“We will begin the next phase of preparations immediately. We want to also see some new players in certain positions and correct some mistakes we made during some of our games in Kano while strengthening and consolidating on our strong areas.”
The Eagles will be camped at the Bolton White Hotels and Apartments for what promises a more intensive phase of training before they jet out to Morocco in the first week of January.
Rwanda will tackle Nigeria, 2014 champions Libya, and Equatorial Guinea in the group stage at the 5th African Nations Championship. The matches of Group C will be played in Tangier.
Rwanda was the last team to qualify for the finals, after edging Ethiopia 3-2 on aggregate in a play –off that was necessitated by Egypt’s decision to forfeit her slot at the championship. Equatorial Guinea qualified for the finals following the withdrawal of Gabon.
Libya shocked the African football family by winning the 2014 edition in South Africa at the expense of Ghana, despite the North African nation being embroiled in political turmoil at the time.
Hosts Morocco, Guinea, Sudan and Mauritania are in Group A, in the event pitting the Atlas Lions against Mauritania in the opening match of the competition, at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca on 13th January.
Hosts of the inaugural edition of the competition in 2009, Cote d’Ivoire head Group B that will be based in Marrakech, and have Zambia, Uganda and Namibia as group mates.
Group D, based in Agadir, has 2011 runners-up Angola, Cameroon, Congo and Burkina Faso.
