Striker Sunday Adetunji and goalkeeper Charles Thambe have joined the rest of the Lobi Stars squad in Abidjan ahead of Saturday’s Total CAF Champions League group game against ASEC Mimosas at the Ivorian capital.
Adetunji and Thambe were unable to fly with the team on Thursday when they left for the West African nation. Lobi Stars’ team of coaches and players left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for Abidjan at about 9:45am on Thursday without their prized asset, Adetunji.
The striker made his debut for the team in their Champions League game against Mamelodi Sundowns last Saturday in Enugu where he was instrumental to his team’s 2-1 success over the South Africans. Thambe, on the other hand is yet to feature for the team this season.
Both Adetunji and the Cameroonian goalkeeper have now left Lagos on Friday morning to join up with the rest of the squad. They will attend the final (and official) training session of the team on Friday afternoon at the venue of Saturday’s game; Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Lobi Stars coach Solomon Ogbeide is expected to make a couple of changes to the starting team which beat Sundowns last weekend. Right back Solomon Kwambe and midfielder Kelly Kester are pushing for recalls after their substitute performance in Enugu.
The ASEC/Lobi game will kickoff at 4pm local time (5pm in Nigeria) on Saturday and will be officiated by respected Algerian arbiter Mustapha Ghorbal who will be assisted by two other Algerians, Abdelhak Etchiali and Bouabdallah Omari.
