As Super Eagles arrive 2023 AFCON semifinal venue on Tuesday; South Africa says semifinal clash with Nigeria different ‘kettle of fish.’
Super Eagles have started their preparations for Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semifinal match against South Africa, with a training session held at the Ecole Nationale de la Police on Sunday.
The Super Eegles would arrive in the city of Bouake on Tuesday, for their potentially-explosive first semi-final of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
When Cote d’Ivoire hosted their only previous Africa Cup of Nations finals 40 years ago, Nigeria also played their semi-final match in the city of Bouake, against Egypt.
The players who did not feature in the 1-0 win against Angola trained fully while six of the players that started the game were involved in a recovery session.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, Victor Osimhen, Frank Onyeka, Zaidu Sanusi and Ola Aina did not take part in any of the exercises and the official word from Super Eagles officials is that the quintet were excused from Sunday’s session.
Osimhen was stretchered off the pitch in the Super Eagles last match while Frank Onyeka was substituted due to an apparent shoulder injury he suffered towards the end of the game.
Six of the starters against the Palancas Negras – Ademola Lookman, Semi Ajayi, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and William Troost-Ekong – were put through their paces by Super Eagles assistant coach George Finidi, while Jose Peseiro directly handled the rest of the squad.
Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika trained without limitations after his surprise omission from the matchday roster on Friday, while captain Ahmed Musa trained individually.
Kelechi Iheanacho, Paul Onuachu, Chidozie Awaziem, Terem Moffi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Joe Aribo, Francis Uzoho, Olorunleke Ojo, Kenneth Omeruo, Samuel Chukwueze and Alhassan Yusuf actively participated in the session.
The Super Eagles will fly out to Bouaké on Monday, two days before the meeting with Bafana Bafana at Stade de la Paix, Bouaké.
Meanwhile, Hugo Broos, the South African coach, says he will approach the semi-final match against Nigeria differently from Bafana Bafana’s style in their quarter-final game against Cape Verde on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was the hero as South Africa beat Cape Verde 5-3 on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.
After an impressive four penalty saves by Williams, Bafana Bafana secured their place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2000 where they will meet Nigeria.
Broos told newsmen at a post-match conference that the game against Nigeria would be an entirely different ‘kettle of fish.’
He noted that the pressure of qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time in AFCON made the game tougher, adding that winning the game by penalty shootout wasn’t a fluke.
