The main event will kick off in a couple of weeks but for Nigeria Saturday’s meeting with England is more than a warm-up. For some Super Eagles, at least, the heat is really on. Unlike Gareth Southgate, Nigeria’s manager, Gernot Rohr, has not settled on the squad that he will take to the World Cup, preferring initially to name a 30-man panel before ditching surplus players in instalments as if trying to lend his selection process some of the suspense and agony of a reality TV show.
Four players were evicted after Monday’s 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, while a fifth, the Gent winger Moses Simon, was ruled out by a hip injury, although Rohr is giving him as much time as possible to recover. The manager will announce the last cuts to his squad after the England match. There could hardly be a bigger incentive to perform well at Wembley.
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