Former Arsenal goalkeeper Ejeheri trains with Super Eagles ahead of Unity Cup opener

FORMER Arsenal goalkeeper Ovie Ejeheri has been invited by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to train with the squad in London ahead of the forthcoming Unity Cup that kicks off tomorrow when Nigeria faces Zimbabwe.

Ejeheri, 23, a product of Arsenal's Hale Academy, currently plies his trade with Danish side  Midtjylland, although he spent last season on loan to local rivals Fredericia. Born in the UK to a Nigerian father and a Ugandan mother, Ejeheri is eligible to play for England, Uganda and Nigeria  but now appears to have opted for the Super Eagles.

Yesterday, Ejeheri joined the training session held at Cray Valley Paper Mills ground in London. He expressed delight with the development, saying he was very pleased after his first experience with the Nigerian senior national team setup.

Ejeheri said: "It was really exciting and I enjoyed it. It's been a long time coming so I am really proud of this moment.

"I don't think there's any pressure in training. Maybe if I was to play a game I'd feel some sort of pressure but even now football is football, so you got to really enjoy it.”

Ahead of tomorrow's game, 17 players participated in training yesterday and they are expected to be joined by their colleagues from the English Premier League who ended their season yesterday. Among the players in camp is Arthur Okonkwo, another former Arsenal goalkeeper, who currently plays for Wrexham in the English Championship.

"Once you leave Arsenal, it is good to see one of the boys again. It's like an old friend you haven't seen in a while. He's a very good goalkeeper so why wouldn't he do well," Ejeheri said of Okonkwo.

Between May 26 and 30, the Unity Cup will take place in London with Nigeria participating alongside Jamaica, Zimbabwe and India. Taking place at The Valley, the home ground of English Championship side Charlton Athletic, the tournament will see Nigeria trying to defend the trophy she won last year after defeating Jamaica on penalties following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.