Buhari cancels FEC meeting, wants Eagles to excel in Russia
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, cancelled the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) to receive the Russia 2018 World Cup-bound Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The event, which held at the Council Chambers, afforded Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo the opportunity to bid the players farewell as they departed for their sixth appearance at the World Cup. The reception was earlier slated for Tuesday evening.
Buhari and Osinbajo met the squad of 25 and senior officials at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The players will be joined in England by Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses, who was given an extended break after a hectic season with the Premier League side.
The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, presented the team to Buhari, a few hours before the Eagles travel to London aboard a chartered aircraft for another friendly against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Wednesday left for London, where they will take on England in a friendly this weekend as part of their final preparations for the World Cup in Russia.
Injured Moses Simon, from Belgian side Gent, was on the flight and will have a third scan to determine the extent of a hamstring injury he suffered recently in training.
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has dropped four players from his provisional 30-man squad: goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye, defenders Stephen Eze and Uche Agbo, and forward Junior Lokosa.
Rohr will whittle down the squad to 23 after the match at Wembley on Saturday.
The Super Eagles is due to attend a final training camp in Austria and a final friendly against the Czech Republic on June 6, before heading to Russia on June 11.
The three-time African champions have been drawn in Group D with Argentina, Croatia and Iceland. Their first game is on June 16 against Croatia in Kaliningrad.
