Nigeria’s Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr has labelled next week’s friendly against 2021 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Cameroon an ‘interesting game’ because he has the opportunity to test some new players he has called up.
Four uncapped players in the shape of John Noble (Enyimba FC), Valentine Ozornwafor (Galatasaray), Abraham Marcus (CD Feirense) and Terem Moffi (FC Lorient) will be monitored at close quarters by the German football tactician ahead of the friendly.
The former Bayern Munich defender will not be able to count on Rangers duo Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun, Leganes defender Kenneth Omeruo, Hoffenheim’s Kevin Akpoguma, Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze, with the last five players recovering from injuries.
Rohr and the Nigeria Football Federation are looking to prepare the Super Eagles for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers by arranging a friendly with one of the traditional teams in Africa.
Speaking to the official website of CAF, Rohr said : “This friendly against Cameroon is an interesting game because we are going to have some of the new players, since some of our regular players will not be available due to injuries, and it is not easy to have everybody at this period because it is also the offseason period.
“It is a big test game and an opportunity to test the new players”.
Since the appointment of Rohr as Nigeria manager in 2016, the Super Eagles have not lost to Cameroon, beating them two times and playing out a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier in September 2017.
He continued: “Of course, we are not going to play for the result against Cameroon in Austria, but it’s an opportunity to see our boys and see something different with our systems against a very good team that will host the next AFCON.
“It is true that we beat them in the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers and at the last AFCON in a very interesting game of the Round of 16, but this friendly is going to be different.
“I’ve seen that they have a list of 28 players, but I’m hopeful all our players listed would be able to come for the match. I hope we are going to have a good weather in Vienna for this match”.
Nigeria and Cameroon will face off at the the Weiner Neustadt Stadium in Vienna, Austria on June 4, starting from 1930 hours (GMT).
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