Abuja – Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi has lamented the fact that he would be having little time with invited foreign-based players ahead of the team’s Feb. 29 clash with Rwanda.

Keshi had on Feb. 16 invited 11 foreign-based players to the senior national team in preparation for the match in Kigali.

The players are to join an Eagles camp of 21 home-based players on Feb. 26 in Abuja ahead of the team’s Feb. 27 departure for the 2013 African Nations Cup qualifier.

“We face the difficulty of the foreign-based players having comprehensive training with the home-based players before the match.

“Presently I am working with the home-based here, and there is little time to do that already as we have just this week to train.

“But as for the foreign-based, it is going to be difficult because most of them are coming on Sunday night.

“So, as it is now, there will be only one session of training in the morning before the team leaves on Monday night,’’ Keshi told newsmen at the team’s training for the match.

The Super Eagles coach nonetheless said he would remain optimistic and be looking forward to success in his first competitive match in charge of the team.

“I don’t want to dwell on that problem, because I believe we are going out there to give our best and get a more positive result,’’ he assured.

The match is the opening game in the Eagles’ campaign for qualification for the 2013 Nations Cup finals scheduled for South Africa.

The eagles had failed to qualify for the 2012 edition held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, which Zambia won on Feb. 12 in Libreville after a penalty kicks win over Cote D’Ivoire.(NAN)