Nigeria was the first African team to arrive in South Africa for the World Cup on Wednesday, landing in the Indian Ocean port city of Durban which proclaims itself as the “warmest place to be for the World Cup.” Nigeria’s Super Eagles landed at Durban’s new King Shaka International Airport, where they will be based for the month-long tournament at the Protea Hotel Waterfront in the town of Richards Bay, 160 kilometres north of Durban.
Nigeria is one of six African teams participating in the 32-nation cup, along with Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon and hosts South Africa.
The team travelled to South Africa from their training camp in the south of England, where a technical problem with their plane delayed their departure by a day.
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The Nigerians, who brought in a new coach, Sweden’s Lars lagerback, a few months before the tournament, have been drawn in Group B alongside Argentina, Greece and South Korea.
They meet Diego Maradona’s side on June 12 in Johannesburg, then Greece in Bloemfontein exactly a week later and South Korea in Durban on June 22.