amaju pinnickThe Nigeria Football Association (NFF)  in Abuja said the Super Eagles would now face Yemen, instead of Sudan, on Jan. 17 in Dubai.
A statement by the Super Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, said this followed the last-minute withdrawal of the Sudanese national team from the international friendly against the Nigerian side.
“The NFA has moved swiftly to ensure that the team plays a game on Saturday, Jan. 17 in Dubai, and the team will now tackle the Yemeni national side on the same date,’’ it said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sudan, which gave no reasons for its sudden withdrawal, was scheduled to play Nigeria on Jan. 17 and Finland on Jan. 22.
Both games were scheduled for Dubai.
But Team Administrator, Dayo Achor, said in order not to distort the schedule of the national team for the New Year, Yemen was approached.
“They accepted to play the Eagles and later Finland on the scheduled dates,’’ he said in the statement.
NAN reports that the Nigeria versus Yemen game will be played at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
“Already, the Secretary-General of the Yemen Football Federation, Dr Hamid Alshaibani, has sent a letter to the organisers.
“A copy of this has been made available to the NFA, and in it, he has accepted to test the might of his side against Nigeria,’’ the statement further quoted Achor as saying.
Meanwhile, the statement further said the Super Eagles, 0-1 losers to Cote D’ Ivoire last Sunday, have since arrived in Dubai to prepare for the game against the Yemeni side.
“The team arrived Dubai by road on Tuesday afternoon and it is staying at the Time Grand Plaza Hotel,’’ it said.
The statement said the delegation comprised 19 players and their officials, led by NFA Technical Committee Chairman, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, and Emmanuel Ikpeme, the NFA, Head Technical Department.
It said the team was without Warri Wolves striker Gbolahan Salami, who had to go and firm up details of his contract with a Serbian clubside.
The team’s stand-in head coach, Daniel Amokachi, has already given the players an off-day on Tuesday, and that rigorous training for the game against Yemen would resume today.