Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman and his England-based Super Eagles teammates, Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina and Joe Aribo arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday for the start of Nigeria’s one-week camping ahead of the 2023 AFCON, which holds from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast.
Lookman, who was formerly based in England, is among the eight debutants listed by coach Jose Peseiro, and he linked up with the trio as the early birds in the Eagles camp, which opened on Tuesday.
Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro and his assistants arrived earlier in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as preparations are expected to begin earnestly on Wednesday (today).
The Nigeria Football Federation had announced that all the 25 players would depart from their different bases on Tuesday for the training camp that will last until Tuesday January 9.
The team will fly back to Lagos January 9, and then fly to the Ivorian capital, Abidjan on Wednesday, January 10 ahead of their opening match against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday January 14. Nigeria will face hosts Ivory Coast four days later, before their final group game against Guinea Bissau January 22.
Peseiro had dropped his final 25-man list for the tournament last week, naming captain Ahmed Musa and defender Kenneth Omeruo, who were both part of Nigeria’s last triumph in 2013 as part of his squad. Musa and Omeruo are joined by 23 other players, which have eight debutants.
Some changes are however likely to be made before the deadline of submission of the final list to CAF on Wednesday (today), as some members of the 25-man squad including Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Nididi are said to be injured.