Sports

Super Eagles Intensify Preparations For Costa Rica Friendly

The Super Eagles team comprised mainly of home-based players have begun preparations for the international friendly match between the three-time African champions and Costa Rica scheduled for San Jose on November 10.

The head coach of the three-time African champions Jose Peseiro is yet to release the squad list for what is potentially the first-ever international game between the Super Eagles and Costa Rica.

However, the Super Eagles camp opened in Ibadan on Monday, with national team assistant coach Salisu Yusuf who takes charge of home-based Eagles present alongside 15 home-based players.

Coach Yusuf also doubles as the head coach of the Olympic Eagles who recently secured their passage to the last rounds of qualifiers to the 2023 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

And the veteran tactician opted to retain in the Ibadan camp some of the Dream Team players that defeated Tanzania 2-0 in an Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifier at the weekend.

The home-based selected players are expected to be joined by some foreign-based Super Eagles contingent before the San Jose friendly.

While it is a mere friendly encounter for Nigeria, the match will serve as a tune-up game for Costa Rica ahead of their participation at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later in November.

Nigeria did not qualify for the Mundial after falling at the last hurdle to eternal rivals Ghana.

The two teams are former continental champions in their Confederations with the game being one of the two last games for Nigeria in the 2022 calendar year.

The Super Eagles will then face European heavyweights Portugal on November 17 just three days before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Full list of Players in camp

Mustapha Jibril (Abia Warriors),

Alex Jerry (Lobi Stars),

Garba Suleiman (Kebbi United),

Samuel Kalu (Enyimba),

Isaiah Ejieh (Mjallby),

Afeez Nosir (Kwara United),

Nathaniel Nwosu (Water FC),

Paul Samson (Kwara United),

Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars),

Sunday Faleye (Unattached FC),

Edidiong Ezekiel (Remo Stars),

Bamayi Calocho (Yum-Yum FC),

Evans Ogbonda (Akwa United),

Dominion Ohaka (Water FC).

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.