•Osho, Tianimu set for Eagles debut
Nigeria will take on Ghana and Mali in two top-grade friendly matches in the Moroccan city of Marrakech later this month, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Both matches have been put together by the Nigerian Football Federation FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodata Sport.
The clash with the Black Stars, which comes up on March 22 at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, is bound to resurrect vintage memories of a 73-year rivalry involving the West African giants, dating back to October 1951 when Nigeria bounced then Gold Coast 5-0 in a Jalco Cup encounter in Lagos.
Most recently, the two teams clashed in March 2022 in a two-legged play-off for a place at that year’s World Cup finals in Qatar, with the Black Stars edging the fixture on the away-goal rule after a 1-1 aggregate.
Nigeria and Mali, both teams incidentally nicknamed ‘Eagles’, last clashed in a friendly match in Rouen, France in the summer of 2016. The encounter ended scoreless. The Malians had, three years earlier, lost 4-1 to eventual winners Super Eagles in Durban in the semi-finals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The encounter between Nigeria and Mali will also hold at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on March 26.
Nigeria have retained the bulk of the squad that finished as runners-up at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, but have recalled England-based defender Jamilu Collins, as well as Empoli FC of Italy’s Tyronne Ebuehi and Glasgow Rangers’ forward Cyriel Dessers.
Midfield enforcer Wilfred Ndidi, who missed the continental tournament in Ivory Coast returns from injury, while Bayer Leverkusen of Germany’s Nathan Tella and Turkey-based Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have fresh opportunities to stake claims to permanent shirts.
England-based defender Gabriel Osho and Tanzania-based Benjamin Tianimu are teaming up with the group for the first time.
The goalkeepers invited for the friendlies are goalkeepers, Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho, Ojo Olorunleke.
For defenders Gabriel Osho, Chidozie Awaziem, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Tyronne Ebuehi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Kenneth Omeruo, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Jamilu Collins and Benjamin Tianimu makes the list.
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.
