The Nigeria senior national team received a boost ahead of their 2022 Fifa World Cup play-off against Ghana following the arrival of Leicester City winger Ademola Lookman on Wednesday morning.
According to a post on the Super Eagles’ social media handle, the 24-year-old completes Augustine Eguavoen’s list of invited foreign-based professionals, having touched down at the Well Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja.
“Hi guys, this is Ademola Lookman here. I just arrived in the camp and I am happy to be here. Naija, mo tide (Nigeria I have arrived),” the RB Leipzig loanee said in a video posted on Super Eagles’ Twitter handle.
Lookman played for England at U19, U20 and U21 level. Notably, he was part of the European team’s squad that won the 2017 Fifa U20 World Cup staged in South Korea.
In that tournament, he contributed three goals including a brace in the Three Lions’ 2-1 triumph over Costa Rica in the Round of 16.
However, he is no longer eligible to represent England at senior level after Fifa granted his switch to the Nigeria national team.
Enyimba goalkeeper John Noble, who was handed a late call-up due to Maduka Okoye’s illness, will complete the list of players that will hope to dim the Black Stars in Kumasi and also in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the team took to the turf to train for the first time on Tuesday with all the players looking fit.
“I am very satisfied, you can see that the boys are ready to go,” Eguavoen told the media.
“The good thing is that they are in season, they are in form and their confidence is very high. No injury worries and I am very satisfied with what we saw in our first training session, one hour, 15 minutes.”
The Three-time African kings have played in the last three World Cup finals and they are hoping to make their seventh appearance in the quadrennial showpiece in Qatar.
Also, it will help the Super Eagles redeem themselves after their elimination in the Round of 16 stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.