Eagles stars in high spirits ahead of W’Cup qualifiers

•Osimhen bags hat-trick for Gala

Super Eagles players have taken to social media to share nostalgic national team pictures amid their incredible forms as Nigeria prepares for crucial World Cup qualifier matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Off the field, team captain William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey have posted images ahead of the upcoming fixtures, showing their enthusiasm and commitment as they mentally prepare to don the green and white jersey once again.

On the field, striker Victor Osimhen continues to send warning signals to Nigeria’s opponents with a hat-trick for Galatasaray during their 4-0 win against Antalyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.

The players’ forms and sharing of these images appears to be a way of reconnecting with their national identity and reminding themselves of the honour that comes with representing their country.

It’s a visual declaration of their readiness to fight for Nigeria on the international stage.

Ekong, who now plies his trade with Al-Kholood FC in Saudi Arabia, shared throwback photos celebrating Nigeria’s Olympic bronze medal win in 2016 with Mikel Obi, alongside another image featuring himself in traditional white attire with Calvin Bassey.

Iwobi, currently with Fulham FC alongside Bassey in England, posted a picture with Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen with the caption “My Brother!” and added two solo shots of himself in the green and white.

Bassey shared an image from his early days in the squad, perhaps reflecting on his journey with the national team and his growth as a player since then. Aina, meanwhile, reposted a picture originally shared by Bassey when they were at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, the venue for their upcoming home fixture against Zimbabwe.

These social media activities suggest the players are mentally shifting focus from their club commitments to their national duty, with the players set to begin camping on Sunday, embracing the weight of expectations from millions of Nigerians. The photos serve as both motivation for themselves and reassurance to fans that they understand the importance of the upcoming fixtures.

The Super Eagles are set to face Group C leaders Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, 21st March before hosting Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo four days later.

Currently fifth in Group C with just three points from four matches, Nigeria needs consecutive victories to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Head Coach Éric Chelle has named his final 23-man squad for the qualifiers, which includes notable players like Stanley Nwabali, Ekong, Bassey, Aina, Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, and Osimhen.

The squad saw some significant exclusions with regulars like Kelechi Iheanacho, Maduka Okoye, Zaidu Sanusi, Frank Onyeka, Chidera Ejuke, and Ahmed Musa missing out. In-form duo Cyriel Dessers and Christantus Uche who made the provisional list also missed out on the final squad.

Bayer Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella was withdrawn from the squad due to injury, with Gent defender Jordan Torunarigha called up as his replacement.

This is the second time Tella has been ruled out after being called up for national team duty. The 25-year-old has been capped just once for Nigeria, during the first leg against Zimbabwe on Sunday, November 19, 2023.

His replacement, Torunarigha, also has one cap to his name from an international friendly against Mozambique in October 2023. The 27-year-old defender has played 22 times for Gent in the Belgium top flight this season with one assist.

As the players continue to share these memory-laden images, it’s clear they are mentally gearing up for what could be a defining moment in Nigeria’s quest to return to the World Cup stage after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.