As many as five players plying their trade in England are expected to be in the Super Eagles squad for the AFCON qualifiers in March, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.
Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has a pool of five players from which he is expected to pick players or possibly call up all five after his recent trip to England. We gathered top of the list is Tosin Adarabiyio who plays for Fulham.
Peseiro feels the present defence line doesn’t have enough options and Tosin who is a regular for Fulham in the English Premier League ticks the right boxes. Already the player has communicated his willingness to switch allegiance to Nigeria.
Top scorer in the English Championship Chuba Akpom is the second who is sure of a spot in the team, his switch of allegiance process came through two years ago but he wasn’t called up by erstwhile coach Gernot Rohr as he was struggling at club level.
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Now fully settled at Middlesbrough with 13 goals from his role just behind the main striker, he fits the profile of the type of player for Peseiro’s 4-4-2 style of play. He is no doubt high up the list with his agent also sighted at the office of the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja to probably make a case for his client. The same as on loan Southampton forward Nathan Tella.
Tella has been ever present for high flying Burnley in the English Championship with eight goals and two assists for the league leaders. His switch of allegiance was approved by FIFA in January last year making him eligible for Nigeria. Peseiro is said to be an admirer of the winger.
Still in the English Championship, the eyes of the coach is said to be on Watford midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru, the former Nigeria U20 and U23 star is for now the only Nigerian out of the three at the club who is enjoying a regular run of games. Although it’s still unclear if he will be fit enough before March as he is presently nursing an Injury which will keep him out for three months.
On loan Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo is the only shot stopper in the mix with his performances for Crewe Alexandra coming at a time where Nigeria is badly in need of more options in goal owing to unconvincing displays from the duo of Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho lately.
Okonkwo has ten clean from 26 games this season, a remarkable return for a goalkeeper who is having his first real run at the senior level. Marvin Ekpiteta of Blackpool is another name who has been long suggested but it is believed that Adarabiyio is ahead of him at the moment. The ex Nigeria U20 trainee can however make the team for the March game.