’TANA AIYEJINA takes a look at some new players, who if given a chance, or want to play for Nigeria, could bring more quality into the Super Eagles as coach Stephen Keshi prepares his side for the 2014 World Cup
Born
to a Nigerian father, Cesar Balogun and German mother, Orfa, Leon thus
qualifies to play for the Nigerian national team and Germany. The
right-back has played for Hannover and Weder Bremen before but he has
not been capped by Germany at senior level.
“I
will walk to Spain, then swim across the ocean, catch a canoe just to
honour the call. It will be the pinnacle of my career to represent the
country of my father’s birth especially because my father was always
proud to be a Nigerian” Balogun told supersport.com.
Just
like Balogun, there are several other players of Nigerian descent
scattered all over the world, who would be willing to add to coach
Stephen Keshi’s selection headache ahead of the 2014 World Cup in June.
Like
they say, the more the merrier, but Keshi sure knows that selecting his
final list— from his established players and those who want to break
into the team— for Brazil 2014 would give him sleepless nights.
Chuks Aneke (Midfielder, Arsenal)
Arsenal
youngster, Aneke, could become an invaluable asset to Keshi as the
coach gradually rebuilds a new Eagles side. The 20-year-old has played
for England at U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-19 levels. He has a long term
future with the Eagles if he switches allegiance to Nigeria.
Currently
on loan at Crewe Alexandra, he has scored two goals and two assists in
seven matches. The midfielder has been likened to Gunners legend Patrick
Vieira.
He has shown a great deal
of versatility at Crewe, where he has played as a centre-back and
defensive midfielder. Aneke has all the makings of a future star; he has
quality, creativity and goal-scoring ability.
Chinedu Ede (Midfielder, Kaiserslautern)
Son of a Nigerian father and German mother, Ede has gone ahead to play for Germany at youth level, winning the European Championship
in 2009. Rugged and noted for his versatility, he joined Mainz in the
Bundesliga on a four-year contract in 2012 but he has been loaned out to
2 Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern.
Ede is remarkably quick, has good dribbling ability, can play in several positions and is hugely influential in moving forward.
Imoh Ezekiel (Striker, S/Liege)
Ezekiel’s
exclusion from the national team still confounds some of his fans. The
20-year-old striker has been in tremendous form since he moved to
Standard Liege from 36 Lions two years ago.
His goals have helped fire Standard
Liege to the top of the Belgian Jupiler League. He has eight league
goals and 11 in all competitions. Last season, he notched 16 goals
overall and his outstanding performances this term has triggered
interests from French giants Monaco and Lille.
But
his steady omission by the Nigerian selectors may be Belgium’s gain as
the player reportedly indicated interest to represent the European
country at international level.
Kenny Otigba (Defender, SC Heerenveen)
Born
in Kaduna to a Nigerian father and Hungarian mother, 21-year-old
Heerenveen centre-back, Otigba, has played for the U-21 team of Hungary
but he is yet to commit his international career to Nigeria or Hungary.
He
rejected a second invitation to play for the Hungarian U-21s thus
sparking reactions that he may want to commit his future to Nigeria.
However, the youngster is presently torn about which country he hopes to represent at senior level.
“My
dad wants me to represent Nigeria at senior level. My mother is a
simpler case, but I think that she would prefer me to choose Hungary.
“One of them will probably be disappointed. Fortunately, I still have time to think about it,” Otigba told csakfoci.hu.
The
Nigerian started his European career at Gyulai Termál FC in Hungary in
2000 before moving to Békéscsaba in 2004, from where he joined
Heerenveen six years ago.
Otigba
has scored four goals in 12 games from his defensive position in the
Dutch topflight this term and playing regularly under coach Marco van
Basten is a testament to the player’s huge potential.
Derik Osede (Defender, R/Madrid B)
Born
in Madrid to a Nigerian father and a Spanish mother, Osede has
represented Spain at U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels, winning the
2012 UEFA European Football Championship with the U-19 side.
The
Real Madrid B centre-back, who also represented Spain at the 2013 U-20
World Cup, could bring more competition to Keshi’s central defence.
The
20-year-old is a centre-back with many qualities. He is quick, decisive
and a very well-rounded player, both physically and technically. He’s a
clear example of a product of Madrid’s academy, having joined at the age
of nine and advanced through almost all the categories.
Joel Obi (Midfielder, Parma)
Although he’s not had enough playing time at Parma due to injury, Obi is an asset to his team’s midfield on a good day.
The
former Inter Milan man is an all-action player whose strengths are his
passing, high work rate and tackling ability if fully fit.
Haruna Lukman (Midfielder, D/Kiev)
Dynamo Kiev midfielder Lukman has been one of Nigeria’s most consistent performers in Europe in the last two years.
Having
played at the 2010 World Cup under Swede Lars Lagerback, Lukman has
been in the international wilderness ever since, despite calls for his
recall to the team.
The hardworking, skillful and highly technical player however says he will continue to give his best at club level.
“I
have to be more focused in what I do in my club, the most important
thing is to play well for my club and see if I will be called back to
the national team,” Lukman told TVC.
Sone Aluko (Forward, Hull City)
Winger
Aluko has been missing for more than two months with an Achilles injury
but he is on the verge of a return to Premier League side Hull City. He
just agreed a two-and-a-half-year extension to replace the former
contract, which expired at the end of the season.
The
24-year-old made his Nigeria debut against Ireland five years ago but he
has not been able to recreate his performances in English football in
an Eagles shirt. He had represented England at all youth levels before
agreeing to pledge his international future to Nigeria.
The
fast-paced Aluko takes delight in running rings round defenders from the
flanks before delivering killer-crosses for the front men to deliver.
Stefano Okaka (Striker, Parma)
Born
in Italy to Nigerian parents, 24-year-old Okaka however decided to play
for Italy at junior levels but he has been unable to play for the senior
national team.
The
deadly and powerful striker will definitely give Keshi’s present
strikers a run for their money if he decides to commit his international
future to Nigeria
Tiago Ilori (Defender, Liverpool)
Liverpool
central defender Ilori, has a Nigerian father and Portuguese mother but
represented his mother’s country at the 2013 U-20 World Cup.
Ilori’s assets are his technique, composure and tactical reading of the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment