NFF gives Keshi free hand on Team Base Camp

For the very first time in the history of Nigeria’s participation in the FIFA World Cup finals, the Nigeria Football Federation has given Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, the free hand to determine where his wards will make home at next year’s finals.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria in her very first appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals, in USA in 1994, said he cherished the opportunity by the Aminu Maigari administration and would always strive for the best for Nigeria.

“I am happy to have been given
the free hand to select the Team Base Camp. You may think it is a small gesture but not every Head Coach has that privilege. I am certainly going to use the opportunity to select the best for our team.”

Keshi’s African champions will contend with two-time world champions Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran in Group F.

Keshi is presently inspecting a number of possible camps in the South American nation, and specifically around Sao Paulo. Most of the 32 participating member associations are also looking around Sao
Paulo for their team base camp. A total of 83 TBCs were offered in the final TBC Brochure.

A Team Base Camp consists of a Team Base Camp Hotel and a Team Camp Base Training Site. All participating member associations must confirm their Team Base Camp before the end of next month.
All teams must report at their Team Base Camp no later that five days before their first match of the tournament. In the case of Nigeria, that means no
later than 11th June, five days before the Super Eagles clash with Iran at the 41,000 –capacity Arena da Baixada in Curitiba – a city of 1.7million people in the south of Brazil.

The Eagles will then tackle Bosnia Herzegovina at the 42,000 –capacity Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, a city of approximately 550,000 people in the centre west, on
Saturday, 21st June, before flying to the south
again to play Argentina in what is Group F’s most anticipated game.

That match comes up at the 48,000 –capacity Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, a city of more than 1.4million people, on Wednesday, 25th
June.