By Eniwoke Ibagere BBC Sport Online, Lagos

Injuries, indifference and a wrong coaching decision have resulted in a depleted Super Eagles camp ahead of this weekend's match against Angola.

Joseph Yobo, Celestine Babayaro, Austin "Jay-Jay" Okocha and Victor Agali - all European-based players - were excluded due to injuries.

Kanu Nwankwo had also been ruled out of the squad but the Arsenal player flew to Nigeria on Tuesday to join his colleagues for the tie.

The European-based players who have arrived in Nigeria are yet to report in camp, to the chagrin of the Super Eagles handlers.

"This is bad," complained assistant coach Austin Eguavoen when he spoke with BBC Sport Online at their Ota camp on the outskirts of Lagos.

But the coaches' decision to decamp the majority of the home-based players has also contributed to the Super Eagles current problems.

Sickness

Nigerian newspapers said Ifeanyi Udeze, Patrick Ovie and Isaac Okoronkwo as well as Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Duke Udi and Julius Aghahowa are the absentees from camp.

"Aghahowa told me he's travelling to Benin to see his sick father," Nigerian FA secretary-general Taiwo Ogunjobi said.

The present situation evokes depressing memories of the early 1980's and '90s, when players were notorious for reporting late to camp.

But despite the problems, Eguavoen remains upbeat.

"The important thing is for us to get united, be focused and try to get a good result in Luanda."