There has been widespread reactions to the inclusion and ommison of certain players in the Super Eagles squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
In this piece, Prime Business Africa’s Senior Correspondent IZUCHUKWU OKOSI adds his voice to the raging debate of who should have been named in the 28 man team.
1. Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)
One feature of most defences these days is the availability of a left footed central defender who of course can also play at left back.
Glasgow Rangers’ Calvin Bassey fits the bill and his involvement in the tournament could have helped in the manner the Super Eagles build attacks from the back especially if his long ball distributions prove to be top notch.
Such players bring balance to the defensive shape, the only condition though being that the players are good on the ball and are physically behomoths that are not easily shaken off by strong strikers.
The other left footed centre back in this mould with a stint in the team is Valentine Ozorworfor.
2. Kelvin Akpoguma (1899 Hoffenheim, Germany)
This could be a very tricky one.
The duo of Kenneth Omeruo and Shehu Abdullahi have been part of the set up under Franco-German Gernot Rohr but there is a question mark about the rational in having these two players who play in the second divisions in Cyprus and Spain in the Nations Cup squad at the expense of a player strutting his talent in the German Bundesliga.
Akpoguma is a versatile player who plays in the right back and cemtral defensive positions.
Omeruo is a natural leader, Abdullahi is not a bad player in all ramifications but Akpoguma should have the edge over them if truly the leagues players are doing their business is a factor.
3. Azubuike Okechukwu (Sivasspor, Turkey)
Former U-23 Eagles captain Azubuike Okechukwu has been a mainstay for Turkish Lig 1 side Sivasspor this season with nine games so far for his club.
In the absence of recuperating Oghenekaro Etebo who could have certainly made the squad if he was fully fit, another conventional defensive midfielder would have sufficed.
Interim head coach Austin Eguavoen in a YouTube video analysed expertly the requirements for the players that wish to play for the Nigerian national team under his watch (Strength, Speed, Skills) and Azubuike’s style of play plus his physical attribute fit the narrative.
Wilfred Ndidi needs such a capable teammate as the likes of Kelechi Nwakali, Chidera Ejuke, Joe Aribo and Alex Iwobi are attack minded. Etebo who is a central midfielder who had always been a foul for Ndidi is regretfully out of the team for fitness reasons.
4. Cyreil Dessers (Feyenoord, Holland)
This is another tricky one which this writer finds difficult to figure out who should have made way for Cyreil Kolawale Dessers.
The Belgian born striker of Nigerian descent turned down the chance to play for Belgium and has been in great form for Dutch Eredivisie side of late with four goals.
Now his big dream has been dashed and it beggars the question if the players abroad with Nigerian blood are justified when they choose to represent the countries that honed their skills.
It still hurts that Bukayo Saka, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori are not playing for Nigeria. But who would blame the trio?
5. Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace, England)
This one is regrettable. The Crystal Palace creative midfielder should have been ‘secured’ for Nigeria.
The Super Eagles is screaming for a creative midfielder and the player whom the Nigeria Football Federation boss Amaju Pinnick once approached to play for Nigeria (as shown in the featured image) should have been revisited for this purpose when he picked up a long term injury in May 2021.
That injury prevented him from getting called up to the England squad for the Euro 2020 tournament. What better time to convince him to change allegiance and represent the country where his father hails from.
Eze literally means a King and who knows he could have made the Nations Cup his own.
This writer suggests that the NFF should as a matter of urgency start the moves to convince Eze to play for the Super Eagles potentially ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
PS: Leicester City’s Ademola Lookman could have made Prime Business Africa’s list but his application process to change allegiance from England to Nigeria is understandably not going to be sorted before the start of the AFCON.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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