• Eagles’ squad list out this week
Leicester midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, is expected to boost Super Eagles’ squad ahead of Nigeria’s Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde.
Ndidi, a regular in Rohr’s team, missed Super Eagles’ last two games against Central African Republic early this month due to injury.
Yesterday, Leicester City reported that the defensive midfielder has started training and is in line to return to the team’s line up when they face Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend.
For three English top-flight matches, the Foxes have attempted to fight on without interceptor and linchpin, Wilfred Ndidi. It wasn’t certain at press time if Ndidi was fit enough for Leicester’s Carabao Cup game against Brighton last night, but the club’s hierarchy were optimistic that he would be ready for Arsenal on Saturday. If he comes through the game against Arsenal unscathed, it then means Ndidi would be ready for the World Cup qualifiers next month.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Liberia’s Lone Star in their adopted home of Morocco on November 11 and then host the Cape Verde on November 14.
Liberia will play their home games in Morocco following CAF’s decision to maintain the ban on the Samuel Kenyon Doe Sports Stadium as the facility still does not fully meet the set stadium minimum requirements.
The Kingdom of Morocco has granted Liberia the use of one of its stadiums, Grand Stade de Tanger for their remaining two matches in the 2022 Qatar World Cup Qualifiers.”
The Eagles lead Group C with nine points from four matches, two points better than the Crocodiles of Cape Verde, who they host on November 14.
Coach Gernot Rohr is expected to unveil the squad for the matches against Liberia and Cape Verde this week. Sources at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed, yesterday, that the federation has already prepared the grounds for the team’s camping ahead of the matches.
Apart from Ndidi, Villarreal winger, Samuel Chukwueze, who has not featured for the Eagles’ in recent times due to injury, is expected to return to the team. Also billed to come back to the team is Everton star, Alex Iwobi, who missed the two games against Central African Republic.
Meanwhile, Leicester City fear they will lose the Nigerian duo of Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho for a handful of Premier League fixtures during the winter to the African Cup of Nations.
According to Leicester Mercury, Africa’s Cup of Nations will hold during a vital time in the Premier League calendar. Not only would Leicester City miss Ndidi and Iheanacho, but also they would be without other players like Daniel Amartey and Nampalys Mendy, who will represent Ghana and Senegal respectively.
The players in question could miss up to eight crucial fixtures during winter. The 33rd installment of the African Cup of Nations will be starting from January 9 to February 6, 2022. All the teams that the Leicester City players represent respectively have qualified for the group stages of this tournament.
All the clubs facing a similar dilemma have struck conversations with the national teams to allow the players to leave later than scheduled to help out their clubs on Matchday 20. Liverpool will also be dealing with the same issues as their counterparts. They have to play without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Joël Matip, and Naby Keïta.
