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By JOE APU
Nigeria and Poland will both be aiming to continue their preparations for future assignments on a winning note when they clash in an international friendly at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw on Wednesday night.
The Super Eagles head into the encounter buoyed by their recent Unity Cup success in London and with an almost full squad available to Head Coach Eric Chelle, who has made it clear that victory remains the team’s primary objective.
“We have a team and we are preparing to go out there and win. Winning is the mentality that we are trying to create in the team, in the players. We will go for a win on Wednesday,” Chelle said as preparations entered the final stages.
Nigeria received a major boost with the arrival of Fulham defender Calvin Bassey, taking the number of players in camp to 20 and giving the coaching crew more options across the backline. Germany-based winger Philip Otele, one of the standout performers during the Unity Cup, was also expected in camp.
The Super Eagles have strength in depth across all departments, with goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Arthur Okonkwo and Francis Uzoho competing for places, while captain Wilfred Ndidi leads a midfield contingent that includes Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Tochukwu Nnadi.
In attack, Moses Simon, Terem Moffi, Paul Onuachu, Akor Adams and Rafiu Durosinmi will be looking to make an impact as Nigeria seeks another positive result on European soil.
Poland, however, will be equally determined to claim victory in front of their home supporters. The White-Reds experimented with several new faces in their recent outing against Ukraine and are expected to continue assessing options under Coach Jan Urban.
The hosts will look to in-form winger Jakub Kamiński to provide inspiration, while players such as Oskar Pietuszewski, Mateusz Żukowski, Norbert Wojtuszek, Kacper Potulski and Oskar Wójcik are also expected to push for opportunities.
Like Nigeria, Poland is using the friendly to build squad depth and establish momentum ahead of competitive fixtures, setting the stage for a keenly contested encounter between two ambitious national teams.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. local time in Warsaw (7:45 p.m. Nigeria time) at the 58,000-capacity PGE Narodowy Stadium.
