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Victor Osimhen and Stanley Nwabali were both involved in training on Tuesday night as the Super Eagles intensified preparations for the clash with Angola.
Osimhen missed Monday’s training session at the Police College, Cocody, Abidjan, but was back on the grass with his teammates again.
Goalkeper Nwabali also trained with his teammates after recovering from a mild ligament injury.
Nwabali sustained the injury in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon last Saturday.
The goal tender like Osimhen was not involved in training on Monday.
The Chippa United star however trained with the goalkeeper trainer in Tuesday’s session.
He was no longer limping as he was taken through the routine goalkeeping drills.
Meanwhile, vice captain William Troost-Ekong missed training for the second day running.
The centre-back has been battling with a thigh injury.
The PAOK Salonica defender missed Nigeria’s last group game against Guinea-Bissau due to the injury.
Troost-Ekong has been one of the key performers for the Super Eagles at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jose Peseiro’s side will face the Palancas Negras at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Friday.
By Adeboye Amosu in Abidjan
Photo by Ganiyu Yusuf
36 Comments
Good news that Nwabali and Osimhen have returned. May God lay His healing hand on Ekong quickly in Jesus Name.
God bless you guys
God bless Nigeria.
God strength to you son.
Thank God.
We need a strong fit squad for the semi finals. So this is welcome news.
Goodnews our Uzoho may still not play a part unless we are playing 3rd place God forbid. Uzoho is a good goal keeper but he lacks confidence and that is where Nwabali is better. He exhumes confidence play with less pressure. The long shot that south African guy Mokweana not sure of the spelling played that Moroccan keeper saved would have passed Uzoho easily. Thank God Nwabali is fit lets go win Angola.
@ Ndubest, I was thinking the same way
Let’s not get too excited because Nwabali has not really been tested. So far so good but I won’t be stupid to be rating a goalkeeper in less than 5 matches. The formation and defensive change of approach is the secret to our clean sheets, we can check how many shot on target teams have tested the keeper and see how few they are then we’ll be giving this credit to the change of approach and not Nwabali. Take a look at how Ekong dived into a rasping effort by G Nkodou of Cameroon at near post. Uzoho faced barrage of attacks of late when Peseiro came in with his loosing streak from his previous jobs and Eagles where bullied by every Tom and Dick. If Uzoho plays with this new defensive approach he will also keep clean sheets. For now let’s keep this approach but not allow us to be too attacked because a determined team will force an error if given liberty, Eagles must watch out again for Mabululu and Dala Gelson these two guys are movers.
@Chima, if you really want to know the difference between Nwabali and Uzoho kindly rewatch the match between Nigeria and Cameroon. Nwabali is far better in ball distribution, coordination of players, confidence and goal keeping.
@Chima, I don’t think you’ve done justice to the comparison. Against Equatorial Guinea, the mistake of Sanusi almost cost us harm, Stanley saved us, also the mistake of Seyi against Cameron, he came out brightly to clear the ball out of danger.
Francis is good, however, Stanley is preferable in terms of quick alertness, defense coordination, confidence, ball distribution and many others.
Seeing Stanley in the team is competitive to Francis. This’ll improve Francis. I also believe in him if he can replicate The UEFA match performance against Manchester United.
Not tested? All the few balls he saved will beat Uzoho. Also, his vocal and uncompromising command of his back-4 is one of the main reasons our defence is organised.
Why didn’t Cameroon score Uzoho for the 30mins or so he played?
Ah, how did Uzoho play for 30 munites when Nwabali was substituted in the 80th munite?
His TV needed kerosene at the moment when the substitution took place.
I wasn’t time sure that is why I used “or so” clowns all over the place looking to disrespect as usual.
@john This is back 3 and 5 when defending.
Kenneth will do the job
Not need for comparison!
In a normal clime, Uzohobasket will not even be selected for the competition. He would have been completely isolated from the national set-up. May be someone should help by uploading all the goals concerded by Uzohobasket in the last 4 years to remove all doubts. M
Simple question!
When was the last time Uzohobasket kept a clean sheet?
Which other super GK has kept a clean sheet in 3 consecutive matches for the SE in the past 7 years ?
Would another GK have been given a second chance for national disgrace and calamitous action of Partey’s goal?
Simple question…and when has the SE parked the bus with 7 men defending in the last 7 years….?
Let’s compare apples to apples.
…parked the bus with 7 men defending, in 3 consecutive games…..
Do you ever have anything positive to share if your bullshit analysis doesn’t work? Looking for every avenue to justify a place for Uzoho who had 7 years to cement his place but still commits blinders.There’s nothing you can say about Nwabili hasn’t had 7 years. If we like we go park 9 if it wins us the cup. Change is one permanent thing in life and if the SE have to adjust formations so be it. Egotistical bitch
Hahahaha…..I see it pains you so much ey…LMAOoo.
Yea…facts can be that painful….LMAOoo
Go hang yourself because I am not joining you to hero-worship Nwabali.
Maybe you are blind to all the heavyweight teams that have been eliminated. This idiot is a narcissist.
Useless bastard, you too must have been dumb and mentally challenged when I’d been raising motions regarding the laxities in our leaky defence all this while….LMAOOoo.
Peserio should have continued with his 424 an if you wouldn’t have joined the heavyweights who are at home now too…..LMAOO
Compound fool. He cannot even control his insecurities anymore…..LMAOoo
Bro you and an old pained retarded fool. You are a miserable human in life…Nobody is asking you to worship Nwabili but majority of Nigerians appreciatw the way he has organized his defence and the confidence he brings, you Uzoho can’t even hit a goal kick to the halfway line after 7 years. Even if we don’t want this tournament one thing is for sure, Uzoho will be relegated to second choice till he is gradually phased out. After 7 years of national duty buddy is a bench warmer for a cypriot club lol.
You are***
Congratulations to you all…LMAOOo.
You could have even said he is the one who changed the formation of the SE to an ultra-defensive one that only relies on the opposition’s mistakes to score goals…..LMAOoo.
Uzoho never laced gloves in any African club, when your Mr Confidence who stood like NEPA pole when a soft goal glided a arm’s length past him when there weren’t 7 defenders to protect him, gets signed in Europe and gets to play in competitions like La Liga and Europa league, kindly let us know….LMAOOoo
If you like don’t watch the ultra defensive team. Shit your TV and jump in the river you hating ass son of a bitch. You want us to conceed goals and get kicked out or you think we are better than Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, or even Egypt?? I said it that you are a narcissist.Your the only one that is right.
Read through this thread again and ask yourself who is sounding pained, miserable and frustrated between you and I……LMAOooo
Mr man your analogy is bullshit, because he conceded 1 goal he is crap??? Oh my what a lunatic this bud is. Uzoho has committed howlers like 1 million in his 7 years but you criticize a guy with only 5 caps smh lol borderline personality disorder lmaoo
Hahahaha…..indeed its bullshit. That is why you are responding to bullshit. That how people who crave validation speak….LMAooo
I was expecting that from a fool like you.
I wasn’t expecting you tell us where his confidence ran to Iban Edu passed the ball into his net with the ball rolling unchallenged 4 feet past him.
Like I said, if you are bold enough, tell your coach to go back to your entertaining, all out attack 94 style 424 again…..LMAOoo
Uzoho committed blunders like 1 million but still kept an average of a clean sheet every 2 games in 7 years without a greyhound coach being parked in front of him. Mr Confident shipped in 7 goals in 3 games before Peserio told himself I wouldn’t allow these boys make me look stupid and quickly switched to playing with 7 defenders with a team that has the best attack on the continent……LMAOoo
I see how these facts irks you so much….LMAOoo. Its a typical example of what psychologists call ‘living in denial’, and that’s the stage before frustration induced depression.
This tournament has shown that African football has grown. In my widest imagination, I would never have thought South Africa would beat Morocco. Almost all the big guns have gone home. We must take the Angola game as a cup final
South Africa has always beaten the north Africans at the AFCON. History favours them. Check the record. In 7 AFCON meetings, SA triumphed over North Africans 6 times. So, I’m really surprised. But Cape Verde will beat them hands down. It’ll be a west African derby of Nigeria- Verde in the semi final
No basis for comparison. Uzoho is a third choice gk for his club in Cyprus. That is the level in which is performance has dropped.
Before the Afcon he was active GK. We are not observant that is why we don’t know where his troubles started. I am never in support of out of form player but to tag an out of form player a name even when he started playing is something I will not do. Let the coach play all out attack as he did before and let’s see if Nwabali will not have enemies amongst his new fans.
Even in a team that has bad defence, a good gk can still show is mettle. A man utd team that has been going through terrible phase for 4 seasons still have Degea as the best gk in premiership. From March-November 2023, uzoho played less than 5 club games football. He is match rusty when Jose Pessero was forcing him on our neck
I know about all those statistics too but this is a Morocco that was semi finalist of the WC a year ago. The first in the history of Africa.