18 players land in Austria camp for Cameroon clash

Eighteen out of the invited Super Eagles players to take on Cameroon in the upcoming international friendly game have arrived at their camp, Hilton Garden Inn, Wiener Neustadt Osterreich Austria in Vienna, Austria.

The Super Eagles will lock horns with arch-rivals, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the Stadion Weiner Neustadt, Austria in a doubleheader, the first of which is set for Friday, June 4 while the second game will be played on June 8.

The much-anticipated clash between the two continental arch-rivals, which suffered an initial scare after 11 Eagles players withdrew from the game due to medical reasons, is expected to go on as planned, according to The Punch.

Among the players confirmed to have arrived at the camp are Watford center-back William Troost-Ekong and Leicester City duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.

Other England-based stars that have arrived in Austria are Alex Iwobi and Oghenekaro Etebo. Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and John Noble, as well as Shehu Abdullahi, Chidozie Awaziem, Jamilu Collins, Valentine Ozonwafor, Anayo Iwuala, Abraham Marcus, Moses Simon, Terem Moffi, Peter Olayinka and Samson Tijani complete the 18 players in camp.

However, captain Ahmed Musa and strikers Paul Onuachu and Simy Nwankwo are expected to join their teammates before the tie. According to the Nigeria Football Federation, the friendlies were arranged as part the Eagles’ preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde in August and September.

Gernot Rohr initially selected a 31-man squad, before reducing the list of players to 23 last week. But Kenneth Omeruo, Sadiq Umar, Frank Onyeka, Victor Osimhen, Semi Ajayi, Kevin Akpoguma, Zaidu Sanusi, Moses Simon, Ola Aina and Tyrone Ebuehi all pulled out of the game citing medical reasons.

Following the withdrawal of the 11 players, there were doubts over the continuity of the friendly as the number of expected players dwindled. Franco-German Rohr will hope to have his injured players returned for another arranged friendly for the Eagles against Mexico on July 4.