Oghenekaro Etebo recently made a loan move to Turkish side Galatasary from English Championship side Stoke City after been told he isn’t in their plans for the season.
His move is his second straight loan move after spending the second half of last season on loan to La Liga side Getafe. He wasn’t handed a permanent contract at the end of his loan spell.
Already the former Warri Wolves midfielder is fighting for his position in the Super Eagles following the emergence of Joe Aribo who has formed a formidable partnership with the duo of Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi.
The trio were impressive in three out of the four games Nigeria have played after the 2019 Africa Cup of nations, including two in the qualifiers for AFCON 2021 where they picked up wins against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.
Etebo last player for Nigeria in the 2-2 draw against Ukraine where he filled up the midfield three with Ndidi not available for the game. Since then he hasn’t gotten a look in.
His move to the Turkish league has further diminished his chances of reclaiming his spot as Rohr isn’t so impressed with the standard of the competition in Turkey.
In recent times he has shunned players playing in the league citing the not too competitive nature of the league as his reason. One case to note is that of Anthony Nwakaeme who hasn’t been given a second chance despite his fine form for Trabzonspor.
So far the only player Rohr has accommodated in his team who plays in Turkey is Shehu Abdullahi owing to the fact that he has been a key player in the team long before his move to Turkey, where he plays for second division side Bursaspor.
For Etebo he is one of the trusted players of Rohr since he was appointed as coach but will that be enough for him to keep his spot? Time will tell.
Osas Mahawi
