Nigeria’s national team, Super Eagles commenced training on Saturday evening at Artic Stadium, the home ground of English non-league club, Craig Valley FC, ahead of their first match at this year’s Unity Cup in London.
Sports247 gathered that a total of 14 players were in attendance, as the Eagles’ coach, Eric Sekou Chelle took the squad of mostly first time invitees through the initial stages of his gameplan for the impending four-nation invitational competition.
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The Eagles, who won the competition last year at Brentford’s BTech Stadium, also in London, will begin their title defence this Tuesday versus Zimbabwe under floodlights at Charlton Athletic’s nearby home arena, The Valley.
The location and timing of that match informed the technical crew’s choice of 6pm and location for the start of their training regime, as the Nigerian squad got straight down to business at Craig Valley’s modest ground on Middle Park Avenue.
Checks by Sports247 revealed that the arena hosts training sessions and home matches of the club and their academy, with lots of attractions also available at the complex fondly called Badgers Sports Ground on Middle Park Avenue at Eltham, London.
The modest complex, which is easily linked through the SE9 5HP highway, is a multi-sports facility that also serves as the home ground for Cray Valley Paper Mills Football Club.
It is highly regarded for its matchday experience, fan amenities and local club atmosphere, with a core capacity that accommodates a maximum of 1,000 spectators in sitting and terracing stands.
It features a main seated stand and a traditional metal terrace, including disabled access and on-site parking for about 40 cars, with additional on-street lots available along Middle Park Avenue and surrounding side roads.
Matchday amenities include food and drink services by two local outfits, Footy Scran and The Griddler – for hot dishes like burgers and chips, alongside the “Buzzbox” for specialty coffees.
It also includes a welcoming clubhouse and bar for fans, players and visiting guests, as well as big screens for broadcasting early or late kick-off matches alongside the live game.
A promotional article about the arena noted in part, “Inspired by the sensational, powerful beauty of the landscape, the stadium does indeed interact with its surroundings in terms of its design. The wooden dome, l…Abitare.”
