The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All-Stars trained Tuesday morning ahead of their first match against Valencia on a play...
The Nigeria
Professional Football League (NPFL) All-Stars trained Tuesday morning ahead of
their first match against Valencia on a playing tour of Spain tomorrow night.
The training
session started by 8.30am and it lasted for two hours under the supervision of
coach Salisu Yusuf.
The squad
arrived Spain Monday night and are booked into the NH Hotel in Valencia.
The friendly
against Valencia will kick off at 10.30pm Nigerian time at the Estadio Luis
Sunapico, Alzira, Valencia.
Technical
Adviser of the Nigeria Professional Football League All-Star team Salisu Yusuf
has assured that the players will give a good representation of Nigeria as they
file out against Valencia CF on Wednesday to begin action in their tour of the Spanish
La Liga.
Yusuf spoke
at a press conference at the Valencia FC Media Centre alongside Valencia coach,
Pako Ayestaran, shortly after the NPFL All-Stars concluded their morning
training session at the Valencia FC Cuitat Esportiva.
"We know
that Valencia is a big club in a big league," Super Eagles coach Yusuf
said. "We have seen their high standard facilities and good level of
organisation but we are here to give a good account of ourselves and to promote
our country and our football.
We will give Valencia a good match. We know their
style of play. We know they like to attack and they like to win and we are
ready for them."
Ayestaran
said he has not particularly followed developments in the NPFL but he has some
general knowledge about Nigerian football and believes the match against the
Nigerian league All-Stars will help Valencia in their build-up to the season
opener just a few days away.
"I have
not particularly followed the evolution of the Nigerian league," he said. I have
worked abroad for some time but perhaps I just concentrated on my job.
However,
I know that Nigeria football is strong on attack and the players are aggressive
and strong. We are building up now to the opening of the season with several
warm-up games and the match against the NPFL All-Star will add to our
preparation for season opener. Perhaps, my players may not be as fresh as they
should be when the season kicks off in ten days time."
Ayestaran
pointed out that Valencia do not go on break as some clubs do, but only takes a
transition after each season and added: "One of the main targets of the
club is to be in the Champions League at the end of the season".
