Alhaji GeroGetty

Oestersunds to storm Spain ahead Europa League games vs. Arsenal - Alhaji Gero

Oestersunds striker, Alhaji Gero reveals that his Swedish side will camp in Spain from the second week of January to properly prepare for their Europa League knockout ties with Arsenal.

Oestersunds will host Arsenal on February 15 at the Jaemtkraft Arena before the return leg a week later at the Emirates Stadium in London. And Gero says that all the players and officials of the club are to return back to Sweden on or before January 10 from their break before making the trip to Spain, a week later.

“We are preparing very well for the explosive encounter with Arsenal. I and Alex Iwobi have joked about it too. I know it will be a tough match and it is the reason we are preparing very hard for it,” Gero told Goal.

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“Arsenal are in thick of league action in England while we ended our league season some weeks back and to put us slightly at par with them we are going to Spain for closed camping exercise. “We are going to play some friendly matches there too. We are convinced that we can eliminate Arsenal from the competition come February next year.

“We are doing everything possible get ourselves ready. I am currently on holiday and will return back to Sweden by January 10.  I will head to Spain with my teammates to prepare for the games with Arsenal. We are the underdogs and we want to utilize it very well to see if we can beat them.”

The former Flying Eagles striker informed that he and Arsenal attacker, Alex Iwobi joked about the fixture after the draw was conducted and that the Super Eagles star boasted that the Gunners would have the upper hand.

“Iwobi is my very good friend. We were roommates in the U23 national team under Samson Siasia and we have both discussed about the fixture. He told me that they are going to win but we want to surprise them.

“We will try to prepare very hard for both legs. We want to start with a good display in the first leg before our fans before we go in the hunt for a place in the return leg tie in London,” he concluded.  

Oestersunds finished the just concluded Allsvenskan season campaign fifth in the league table and they are through to the second round of the Swedish Cup - which they won last season - after their 2-0 victory over Haernoesands recently.   

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