Sports minister, Pinnick ‘train’ with Super Eagles

THE sports minister Sunday Dare and the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, met with the Super Eagles players in Benin and light heartedly participated in their training session on Thursday night.

The 2013 African champions are preparing for Friday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium here in Benin.

The Super Eagles arrived at the stadium a few minutes past 6pm and started light training a few minutes later, replacing the Leone Stars who just finished their own session.

The minister spoke with the players and coaches for some minutes and gave them words of encouragement as they look ahead to the match.

The Eagles started light training shortly after and Dare first joined them in the light work out and stretching to the amusement of the players.

The sports minister took a breather but rejoined the players later as they engaged in a game of ‘Rondo’ where teammates pass the ball around two men in the middle.

Any player that loses the ball has to go to the middle to chase the ball around.

Dare lost the ball a few times, but he was not made to go to the middle considering his age and status, although Kelechi Iheanacho once cheekily demanded that ‘oga’ should also do some ball chasing.Pinnick also joined in the Rondo later as the squad was split into two groups.

Aisha Falode, who heads women’s football at the NFF, was also present at the training session, watching from the sidelines.

Journalists were only allowed to watch the first 15 minutes of the session, before the team began real tactical work.