After so much pressure on Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr to look into the NPFL and invite players to the national team, he finally obliged and has called up four players for the team’s camping in France, where they will prepare for an upcoming 2019 AFCON qualifier against South Africa.
Rohr has yielded and has extended invitations to the league’s highest goal scorer MFM FC‘s Stephen Odey his team mate, Sikiru Olatunbosun.
Ifeanyi Ubah‘s shot stopper (a regular face), Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Akwa United‘s AlHassan Ibrahim all of who have been consistently active for their respective teams this season.
OFFICIAL
We are glad to inform you that Olatunbosun Sikiru & Stephen Odey have been called up to the Super Eagles for AFCON qualifiers 👏🏾👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/Geg0fT55Qv
— MFMFCLagos (@MFMFC_Lagos) May 8, 2017
It is not unusual to see players from the local league in the Super Eagles.
As recent as 9 October, 2016 the German tactician invited three NPFL based players for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia.
The gaffer called up Uche Egbuchulam ( then with Rangers), Godwin Obaje ( last season’s top scorer) and goal keeper, Ezenwa amidst a legion of foreign based.
Rohr has yielded and has extended invitations to the league’s highest goal scorer MFM FC‘s Stephen Odey his team mate, Sikiru Olatunbosun.
But as it stands, it’s almost certain that this recent invite after the deafening calls, is an audition for the NPFL stars.
The occasion for them to prove they deserve to be regulars in the Super Eagles.
On the other hand, if they fail to impress, the jury will be out for them and it is very unlikely that they’ll find an easy route to the team again.
Gernot Rohr has picked from the best players in the league right now, arguably, and it is unfair to say that they carry the hopes of others in the league on their shoulders; however this small matter of the Corsica trip turns out.
But it begs the question if they can truly impress the highly experienced and demanding gaffer?
[The article does not represent our views on the topic and are entirely the writer’s position.]
Written by Abdulmueez Alao
