Nigeria book friendly with top Cameroon club
Friday January 07 2022
Algeria's forward Riyad Mahrez (right) scores from a free-kick during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final match against Nigeria at the Cairo International stadium in Cairo on July 14, 2019. FILE | AFP
In Yaounde
Nigeria will play a friendly match against Cameroonian top-flight champions, Coton Sport of Garoua on Friday as part of the Super Eagles' preparation for the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off on Sunday.
An official of the Cameroon Elite side disclosed that negotiations have been concluded with the Nigerian Football Federation for the game that will be staged at the practice pitch of the Roumde Adjia Stadium in the Northern Cameroonian city.
Saliou Amadou, the Garoua-based club’s communication officer, also said the match will be played behind closed doors.
The Cameroon top-flight side is preparing for the CAF Cup tournament group stage fixtures and the new domestic football season that begins next month.
Heavily criticised by Nigerian media for poor preparations ahead of the continental soccer tourney, the Super Eagles who arrived Cameroon late on Wednesday will be playing their first warm-up game.
The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group 'D' alongside seven-time champions and favourites, Egypt, 1970 champions Sudan and lowly Guinea Bissau. The group will be based at the 30,000-capacity Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua; one of the five host cities of the tournament.
Coach Augustine Eguavoen’s men will be looking to better their third place finish at the 2019 edition in Egypt. They will face the seven-time champions in their opening group fixture on January 11 before battling Sudan four days later and ending their first round campaign against Guinea-Bissau on January 19.
The delayed Afcon 2021 will officially kick off on Sunday when hosts Cameroon play Burkina Faso in the opener at the newly constructed 60,000-capacity Olembe stadium in Yaounde.
The Central African country was initially awarded the hosting rights of the 2019 edition but CAF later moved the competition to Egypt citing infrastructural delays by Cameroon who were then handed the 2021 tournament, which has since been delayed by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.