Nigeria U23 Team Stranded in Atlanta

Nigeria U23 Team Stranded in Atlanta

Four days to their opening game at the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Nigeria U23 National Team returned to training on Friday evening, having skipped their workouts for about two days following uncertainty in the camp, Vanguard writes.

All selected 18 players trained under the guidance of manager Samson Siasia, and the session lasted for about two hours at their base in Atlanta, USA.

However, there are reports that players and officials of the Dream Team VI remain stranded in Atlanta, unaware of when they are leaving for the Olympic Games in Rio and are praying for manna to fall from heaven.

It is the second time they’ll be stranded in camp after reports emerged early this month that they’d been thrown out of their hotel for inability to foot the bill.

Meanwhile, Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi has left the training camp and it is suspected at this point, that he will not return to join the team.

The burly striker left the Nigeria U23 get-together in the USA on orders of Liverpool so he could seal a loan deal to an unnamed European side in the coming days.

Awoniyi, who has been training with the national team for the past two months, can’t travel to Brazil unless he gets approval from Liverpool and his new club, and this is doubtful as he was only named as an alternate player.

“I am not returning to the Olympic team, my club said it is better I join my team than stay on the alternate list and they have the final say,” said Awoniyi.

“I will be going on loan but can’t disclose the club yet.”

 Nigeria begin their campaign against Japan on August 4 in Manaus.