The Nigeria U23 team will take on Guinea in the first leg of their U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game tomorrow in Abuja. Already the team have been training in Abuja under the guidance of coach Salisu Yusuf and his assistant Kennedy Boboye.
Their preparation wasn’t smooth sailing as 16 of the 30 invited players from the local scene were found out to be above the age forcing the coaches to call up 16 players based abroad for the game.
OGN editor in chief Mohammed Mowiz takes a look at the foreign players invited for the game using the amount of games they have played and if they merit a call up to the team.
1- Success Makanjuola (FK Liepaja, Latvia); Bello Babatunde (Future FC, Egypt); Isaiah Ejeh (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Abiodun Ogunniyi (FK Auda, Latvia); Monsuru Opeyemi Abdullahi (FC Vizela, Portugal);
Mowiz – As the captain of the team and one who was key in the run that brought them to this stage, Makanjuola naturally picks himself despite the fact that he sparingly plays in Latvia following his move in January to Liepaja.
Ejeh has played just four minutes of senior football this season in Sweden but again he was a part of the team that played in the last round of qualifiers. However at club level he isn’t cutting it and has been demoted to the U21.
Ogunniyi popularly called Omojesu scored one of the goals that helped them beat Tanzania and qualify for this game. He hasn’t done badly at Latvian side Auda this season.
Opeyemi, A member of the 2019 Nigeria U17 team and had a very good pre season for Vizela and it earned him a starting spot in their first game of the season but since then he has been dropped to the U23s. Meanwhile his fellow Nigerian Friday Etim at the same club has played 12 games this season and even has a goal. Why the 20 year old striker wasn’t called up is what I will never understand.
Babatunde can easily pass as one of the best players in the Nigeria Professional Football League in his position as a midfielder while at Sunshine Stars and later Akwa United. However the fact that the 19 year old has only played one game in Egypt, where he is now means his call up can’t be said to be on current form.
2. Omole Akinyinka Olaoluwakitan (Athletic Newham, UK); Owen Tega Udoh (UD San Sebastian Reyes, Spain); Azeez Temitope Yusuf (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Charles Uba (Lillestrom FC, Norway); Simon Omon (Clube Operation Desportivo, Portugal);
Mowiz – Olaoluwakitan plays non league football in the 9th division of English football for Newham. How was he scouted and how did he make the list? Only Salisu can explain.
The same way he only can provide answers to the invitation of Tega Udoh who plays in the Spanish 5th division and Omon who plays in the 4th division in Portugal, but Azeez of Swedish side Mjallby is an exciting talent right from his days at Gombe United. Credit must also be given to the crew on the invitation of Charles who has been a revelation in Norway this season for Lillestroem.
3. Ihekuna Maximillian Ugochukwu (FC Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni, Moldova); Chukwudi Goodluck Igbokwe (KAA Gent, Belgium); Abass Saidi (Zagalata FC, Azerbaijan); Ibrahim Buhari (IF Elfsborg, Sweden); Gift Emmanuel Orban (KAA Gent, Belgium); Samuel Amadi (Eramica Cleopatra, Egypt)
Mowiz – 21 year old Maximilian palys in the top division in Moldova and has played 13 games this season with eye catching displays. Tipped to leave the team soon for a team in a top league. A good pick going by what I heard. 8 goals in 24 games for the B team of Belgium side Gent means Igbokwe might not be a bad player to have a look at.
However Saidi who is a bench warmer in a second division team in Azerbaijan is a no no by any stretch of imagination. Buhari is currently seen among the best defenders in Sweden at the moment, so his call up is justified. For Amadi he isn’t a regular just like Bello and how Emmanuel Orok who is the hottest Nigerian prospect in Egypt was snubbed is a head scratcher. For Orban, he needs no introduction.
Final Verdict – A shameful list with two many palyers who have no business in the team.