AFCON
Sanwo Olu-led Nigerian government delegation to AFCON leaves for Garoua on Monday
The Federal Government has named a high powered delegation to lead the Nigerian contingent to the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament starting in Cameroon next Sunday, January 9, 2022.
The delegation will be led by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, the Deputy Senate president, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba and Honourable Olumide Osoba are also in the delegation.
Some other members include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, Ministers of State for Finance, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, Agriculture, Mustapha Baba Shehuri and Science and Technology, Mohammed Abdullahi, the Special Adviser to Mr President on Sports, Daniel Amokachi as well as a representative of the Department of State Security(DSS).
Others expected to be part of a special delegation are Sunday Asefun, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), Mr Allen Onyeama, Chairman of Airpeace, Mr Bisi Adebutu, Executive Director, Premier Lotto, Mr Emmanuel Orhiaki, Executive Director Marketing, Nigeria Breweries, Mr Karl Toriola, Managing Director, MTN and Mr Alfred Olajide, the Managing Director of Coca-cola.
The delegation is expected to leave for Cameroon on Monday , the 10th of January, 2022 ahead of Nigeria’s first game on the 11th of January.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in Group D alongside Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau. The group games will be played in Garoua. Nigeria’s first game will be against Egypt on Tuesday, the 11th of January, 2022.
Faced with internal challenges that include players’ injuries and boycotts, the Libyan coach, Nasser Al-Hadhiri is believed by local press as facing a ‘near-impossible mission’ in Nigeria.
“The team’s mission against Nigeria seems almost impossible. The Nigerian team has a strong squad, led by names such as Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface, which makes the task more difficult for the Libyan team”, Akhbarlibya24 editorialised.
It further reported that despite the difficult situation, the Libyan coach, Nasser Al-Hadhiri remains somewhat optimistic, as he hopes to achieve a positive result. He remarked: “We realize that winning against Nigeria is difficult, but we seek to return with a draw that will be positive for us and restore our hope in competing for qualification.”
According to Libya’s news outlets, there are palpable fears in the Libya national team which faces successive crises and trying to avoid early elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
The team which faces the Super Eagles this week has been plagued with players’ absences occasioned by injuries and boycotts.
The coach recently appointed has revealed the names of players refusing to represent the national team.
In a press conference held on Saturday, Coach Nasser Al-Hadhiri remarked that the absence of several players were due to real injuries.
In that class are Ahmed Al-Tarbi, a defender of Ahli Tripoli; Mohammed Al-Tabbal of Al-Nasr club and Ali Youssef who also suffered the injury while playing with Tunisia’s Club Africaine.
If the Libyan national team sticks to plans, the players are expected to have arrived in Nigeria ahead of their Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel in Uyo.
With most players drawn from the domestic league, the national team had daily training sessions in Tripoli under coach Nasser Al-Hadhiri and his assistants Akram Al-Hammami and Abu Bakr Al-Hark.
However, according to media sources in Libya, the team faces injury worries even though the absence of Victor Osimhen in the Nigerian squad is being celebrated.
Even though it did not mention the injured Libyan players, Libya Al-Ahrar Channel reports that replacements were found in Al-Tahadi FC defender, Mohammed Khalil and Al-Nasr midfielder, Abdullah Abdul Rahim as well as Al-Akhdar winger, Faraj Ghaidhan. They take the places of the absent regular players.
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