The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro is worried over the lack of playing time all of the four senior center backs of the Nigerian team are presently facing at their respective teams.
Ahead of the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau only William Troost Ekong is enjoying a regular run of games at his new side Salernitana and to complicate things he is now injured meaning he is in a race against time to be for the game.
Ekong has missed the last two games of his team in the Italian Serie A. Prior to joining the Serie A side he was on the fringes at English Championship side Watford. He made only 12 appearances with three coming as a substitute.
The other senior defender Kenneth Omeruo who has 59 caps for Nigeria has played in 12 games this season like Ekong at Watford, but he hasn’t been involved for second division Spanish side Leganes in their last six games since going off injured against Albacete.
It even worse for Semi Ajayi at English Championship side West Brom as he has only played in ten game this season and has played just eleven minutes in three games since returning from the ligament injury which he sustained in February and kept him out for three months.
His case isn’t better than another senior defender in the team Leon Balogun , the 34 year old has never really had a solid club career but has remained invaluable to the national team when called upon. At QPR he hasn’t played in their last 15 matches. His last game was on the 8th of November.
One would have thought playing in Croatia will guarantee Chidozie Awaziem a guarantee run of games but that isn’t the case with the former FC Porto defender. The 26 year old has played in 14 games this season but he has missed three of their last five games. Although it’s also worthy to note that he has scored four goals this season as well.
Mohammed Mowiz
