Keshi Plans Portugal Camp For Eagles

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has disclosed that he plans to stage a training camp for players from the NPL in Portugal ahead of the AFCON.

This will be in addition to the training camp most likely in Zimbabwe prior to the Nations Cup in South Africa.
"My plan is to have the home-based players for at least two weeks at the adidas training centre (in Portugal),” he told MTNFootball.com

“I have submitted my programme but we all know that time is not our friend.

“We have one friendly game against Venezuela in the US. And I am hoping that I should be able to have my foreign-based players for at least two weeks."

It is believed that 22 players from the domestic league will make the trip to Portugal with the hope that some overseas-based players will also join up.

Hosts South Africa, 2012 AFCON runners-up Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and defending champions Zambia are the seeded countries for Wednesday’s draw for the Nations Cup.

However, Keshi again maintained he is looking forward to facing any of them in the first round of the tournament.

"I am not scared of any country. Let's be put in any group," Keshi restated.

Keshi will be at the draw in Durban and will be accompanied by NFF technical committee chairman Chris Green and Eagles team secretary Dayo Enebi.

They will depart the country on Monday. They are due back in Nigeria on October 26 after attending a seminar, the draw as well as a stadium inspection.

The Eagles training camp for the November 14 friendly against Venezuela in Miami will open on November 4.