Super Eagles to play two friendly matches in September-Pinnick

By Albert Akota

The Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, has revealed that the Super Eagles will return back to action with two friendly games in September.
Mr Pinnick alluded to the fact that the scheduled friendly games pencilled to be played in Paris will only go ahead depending on the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NFF boss made this disclosure during a live Instagram session he had with the NFF communications department.
According to him, plans are already at an advanced stage to have the Super Eagles play an African as well as a South American team in Paris in September.
He, however, said the federation will only make public the identity of the opponents when all arrangements have been finalized.
“We have two international friendly games billed for Paris in September and when we conclude the arrangements, which are at 70 per cent now, we will make it public,” Pinnick assured.
“We hope to make use of the FIFA windows in both September and October,” he added.
Since winning bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Egypt, Gernot Rohr’s men have since resumed the quest to qualify for the next AFCON tournament now billed to take place in 2022 in Cameroon.
The Nigeria national team were meant to face Sierra Leone in March, but the games were put off due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus across the world.
The Eagles last match was against Lesotho in November 2019.
Nigeria won the AFCON qualifier 4-2 in Maseru.
With virtually no activity, the world football governing body, FIFA has ranked Nigeria third (3rd) best team in Africa and thirty-third (33rd) in the world.
The latest FIFA world ranking, published on Thursday, July 16 on its website is the latest since the last publication on June 11, 2020.
Among other things, quality friendly games as being planned by the NFF will help the country improve on the standings on the monthly FIFA rankings.