Home-based players return to campPLAYERS invited for the three crucial World Cup and Africa Nations Cup qualifiers coming up in June will not observe their end of season holidays at the end of the European season, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said.The Super Eagles has a busy schedule in June with two Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers - against Malawi and Namibia - and the return leg of the South Africa 2013 Africa Nations Cup game against Rwanda.NFF General Secretary, Musa Amodu, disclosed yesterday that players invited for the matches would all converge at the team's camp at the end of the European season to begin preparations for the matches, which he described as very important to the country.'What we should even be thinking of is the level of preparation for the next two months,' he said. 'We should rather be concerned about how our players would come to camp immediately at the end of the European league season because of the very crucial engagements in June.'The players must forget their end of season holidays until June 17 when we finish playing these three matches. They should know that the matches are more important than their holidays because if we don't get it right in the month of June, we will box ourselves into a tight corner until the qualifiers begin again in March.'It is very important we beat Namibia in June and get good result against Malawi. We must equally beat Rwanda to qualify for the next round of the 2013 Africa Nations Cup in South Africa.'Meanwhile, Super Eagles' coach, Stephen Keshi, says he will do everything possible to ensure that only fit players are invited for the three matches. Speaking on arrival at the team's Abuja camp yesterday, Keshi revealed that he has been monitoring the players he plans to use for the games, adding that his programme would ensure he does not present a match rusty team against Namibia, Malawi and Rwanda.'My plan is to get all the players we need for the three matches in June and hope they are in good form because they can only perform when they are fit,' he said. 'We have been talking with the ones that will be coming for the match and there is an agreement between us.'We know that they played all season but I sacrificed my holidays for my country when I was playing for Nigeria. I played for Nigeria four years without vacation. I will welcome any player who would do that.'But, if they decide to go on holiday, no problem, we cannot force any player. I cannot beg any player to wear the national team jersey. They must show determination and commitment to play for the nation.'The home-based members of the team returned to the team's Bolton White Apartments camp in Abuja, yesterday. The early callers to the camp are Papa Idris, Gabriel Reuben, Gbolahan Salami and Hussein Hassan. Serious training sessions begin today ahead of the May 23 friendly against Peru in Lima.Other players in camp as at lunch time yesterday are Kalu Uche and Henry Uche, both of Enyimba of Aba, Izu Azuka and Godfrey Oboabona of Sunshine Stars, Kwara's Barbabas Imenger and Samson Pius, Dolphins' Nwachi Emmanuel, Nura Mohammed and Gombe's Marcel Obiorah. All other players are expected to arrive in Abuja today.Keshi said he had to shelve today's training to allow some of the players, who featured for their clubs in the states' Federation Cup finals, ample time to return to camp.
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