The decision of the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro to leave out Chuba Akpom from his Super Eagles team has sparked a reaction from the former captain of the team, OGN can exclusively reveal.
Akpom has scored 28 goals in 36 games in the English Championship for Middlesbrough this season, a form which includes scoring in nine consecutive games at home keeping alive their chance of making it into the promotion play off.
However that run of form hasn’t convinced Peseiro who made it known during the last international set of games that he is aware of the 27 year old but for now has no space for him in his team, the coach said he has players in the team who he has faith in ahead of the former Arsenal prospect.
In sharp contrast former captain of the Nigerian team John Obi Mikel wondered why the coach is leaving out the forward, whose form should at least give him an invitation at the barest minimum as club form should be rewarded with national team call up.
” It’s a straight forward choice if you ask me. You doing it for your team then you at least get an invitation. 28 goals and not a chance yet with Nigeria then you have to ask the coach why the top scorer in the championship is not in his team. Even England I believe will take a look at him with the way he is going”, Mikel told Owngoalnigeria.com.
” When you reward players doing well for their respective teams then you are sending a message to others to work hard but sadly I don’t think the coach shares my line of thought. There are several reasons to leave a player out of a team but at first give them a chance”, he rounded up saying.
Osas Mahawi
