Nigeria Looks to United States for Pre-World Cup Training Base

Nigeria will push to go to the United States for their pre-World Cup training base, according to coach Stephen Keshi.

Football officials had previously floated the idea of training in Argentina, Colombia or the United States.

But Keshi says he has refined the list to two American cities, Miami or Houston, because they are likely to have similar weather as Sao Paulo, the Brazilian city where the Super Eagles will be based for the tournament.

Nigeria are scheduled to begin their World Cup training on May 25.

“I have proposed that we camp in the United States because by the time we would be opening our camping the US would have the same weather as Brazil,” Keshi said.

“There are several US cities that would be hot like Brazil and would have the same temperature (as) Sao Paolo.”

He specifically identified Miami and Houston, which has a large Nigerian community.

Japan will most likely be one of Nigeria’s pre-tournament friendly opponents after they expressed a desire to test their readiness against the Eagles.

“While in Brazil for the draw, I was told Japan were interested in playing us, but I would also like to play countries like Peru,” Keshi said.

“Considering the countries we have in our group, I would love the Eagles to play countries from the region that have the same playing style,” he added.

“But it would also depend on the availability of such countries because some of them may have concluded their friendly arrangement already.”

Nigeria will face Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran in the first round of next year’s World Cup.