Izuchukwu Okosi
Former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze has tasked the home-based players invited for the international friendly match against Costa Rica to make huge impression on the coaching crew.
The team will face Costa Rica 3am Nigerian time on Thursday morning which is Nigeria’s penultimate match in the 2022 calendar year.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelUdeze spoke on Brila FM Tuesday as monitored by Prime Business Africa on his expectations from the team that have faced nations heading to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in tune-up matches.
Udeze was responding to a question on team selection by the Salisu Yusuf led technical crew.
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“The thing is that I don’t know how Salisu Yusuf did his selection. The players are in Costa Rica already,” the onetime West Bromwich Albion left back stated on Brila FM.
“I do not subscribe to enforcing players on the coach at whatever level. The coach has the prerogative of inviting players.
“Salisu Yusuf has taken the decision. Whether his players are able to execute what the coach wants is a different thing.
“The players have the opportunity now so they have to make use of it because they may not get it again,” Udeze further posited.
Meanwhile, coach Yusuf’s involvement in the Portugal friendly next week Thursday is in doubt as the Nigeria Football Federation is reportedly mulling the possibility of reducing the number of backroom staff due to financial reasons.
The Eagles have been involved in about five international friendly matches in 2022 but have not managed to fashion out a win.
Meanwhile the list of invited players for the November 17 high profile international friendly game against Portugal is expected be made known on Monday.
A supposed list of players for the game was made public sometime last week but findings revealed that although the players have been contacted, the final team list could be altered due to player injuries and other sundry issues.
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.
