The ex-Liverpool striker is one of the early birds at Nigeria’s camp, which opened on December 29 in the country’s capital
FC Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi is one of the three players that have arrived at the Super Eagles camp in Abuja.
The Super Eagles opened camp on Wednesday ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on January 9 in Cameroon.
While most of the players will not arrive until the new year, there were still three arrivals on the opening day of camp.
Awoniyi was one of the three players, with the others being Olisa Ndah of Orlando Pirates and John Noble of Enyimba.
Awoniyi arrived early as the German Bundesliga is currently on a winter break and will not resume until January 7, two days before the AFCON starts.
The 24-year-old has been one of Nigeria’s best players in Europe’s top five leagues this season, with nine goals and one assist in 17 league games for Union Berlin this season.
This is Awoniyi’s second call-up, and he will hope to make the best of it as the Super Eagles go for a fourth continental title in Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Ndah, one of the new players in the 28-man squad and the first player to arrive at camp, will hope to make a good first impression on the coaches in the absence of the regular centre-backs.
Another player expected in camp before the turn of the year is CSKA Moscow’s Chidera Ejuke. Moses Simon, Maduka Okoye, Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun are also likely to arrive before the new year.
However, the Premier League and La Liga players will not arrive until the new year.
The Super Eagles begin their group stage campaign with a clash against the Pharaohs of Egypt on January 11.
This post was last modified on December 30, 2021 12:45 pm
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Olisa Ndah was the first player to arrive camp.check your facts
I have never liked Eguavoen as there is just something untoward about him. This is the same guy that had a beef with Rashidi Yekini while they were teammates because the latter would not share his AFOY cash prize with the team. He is part of the problem with Nigerian football (including most of the entitled ‘94 Eagles set) and that is why he has survived the filth and the stench that emanates from the eternal sewer of Nigerian football mail-administration. Pinnick, the one with the debilitating inferiority complex, who has never met a white man he did not like, knows Eguavoen very well and will NEVER hand over the reigns of the Super Eagles to such a pilferer as Eguavoen.
I meant “mal-administration” not “mail-administration”.