•Osho, Tianimu getting ready for their first appearance in the Eagles team
Nigeria Nigeria will play against Ghana and Mali in two high-quality friendly matches in Marrakech, Morocco later this month, according to PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerian Football Federation's FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodata Sport, has organized both matches.
The match with the Black Stars is scheduled for March 22 at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, and is expected to revive memories of a 73-year rivalry between the two West African giants, dating back to October 1951 when Nigeria defeated then Gold Coast 5-0 in a Jalco Cup match in Lagos.
The two teams last met in March 2022 in a two-legged play-off for a spot at that year’s World Cup finals in Qatar, with the Black Stars advancing on the away-goal rule after a 1-1 aggregate.
Nigeria and Mali, both known as the ‘Eagles’, last played a friendly match in Rouen, France in the summer of 2016. The game ended in a draw. Three years earlier, the Malians lost 4-1 to the eventual winners Super Eagles in Durban in the semi-finals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The match between Nigeria and Mali will also take place at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on March 26.
Nigeria has mostly retained the squad that finished as runners-up at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, but has brought back England-based defender Jamilu Collins, as well as Tyronne Ebuehi from Empoli FC in Italy and Cyriel Dessers from Glasgow Rangers.
Midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who missed the continental tournament in Ivory Coast due to injury, returns, while Nathan Tella from Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru based in Turkey, have new opportunities to secure permanent positions.
Defender Gabriel Osho from England and Benjamin Tianimu from Tanzania are joining the team for the first time.
The goalkeepers called up for the friendlies are Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho, and Ojo Olorunleke.
The list of defenders includes Gabriel Osho, Chidozie Awaziem, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Tyronne Ebuehi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Kenneth Omeruo, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Jamilu Collins, and Benjamin Tianimu.
The midfielders are Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Alhassan Yusuf, Frank Onyeka, and Alex Iwobi, while the listed forwards are Nathan Tella, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Sadiq Umar, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Cyriel Dessers.
