It’s safe to say the bravest coach in the history of modern day Nigerian football is the present U23 coach Salisu Yusuf, following the recent call up extended to players plying their trade abroad ahead of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania.
The team is expected to face Tanzania with the first leg holding in Dar es Salaam in the weekend of 21st- 23rd October. The reverse fixture is billed for the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba Ibadan on Saturday, October 29.
Yusuf called up ten foreign based players top of which is former Nasarawa United forward Sunusi Ibrahim. A player who has played a total of seven games since the start of the year 2022. However he is still the one whose invitation can be said to be deserved to an extent.
There is a reason why the list wasn’t made public as we gathered it’s pack filled with players from leagues which are not even up to the level of third tier leagues in Nigeria. The argument is that players playing in top rated leagues won’t be available since the game is going to be played outside the FIFA international window.
A fair enough excuse but it is also not true as with a well planned list and early invitation players from Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and France would have been available. Let’s run through the players doing well abroad in the above mentioned leagues who are within the age limit and would have been available for the game.
From France former Bayelsa United forward Okardi Inikurogha has found his way into the first team of Ligue 2 side Grenoble just six months after joining the B team. The FA Cup winner with Bayelsa United two seasons ago in Nigeria has followed up his fantastic display in pre season which includes scoring against Auxerre to the season proper. He has played there games so far for the promotion chasing side.
Still in France, Kabiru Idress who was signed by top division side Marseille after a scouting tournament in Abuja has trained on several occasions with the main team while he continue to get enough game time with the B team in the French youth league.
Okardi’s teammate at his former side Bayelsa United Victory Beniangba was so hot after six months in Egypt with Cleopatra that he sparked a transfer tussle between LaLiga side Celta Vigo and Belgium side Genk. The dispute was settled in favor of the player three weeks ago and he has since gone ahead to play for the B team of Gent where he scored a goal over the weekend.
The idea is to have him build up his fitness with the B team before he moves to the main team. He has trained severally with the main team, the same can be said of Victor Ehuwa Eletu who captains the U19 of AC Milan at the age of 17.
In Denmark there is ex Nigeria U17 forward Ibrahim Said who has been ever present for Danish side Viborg and even played in the Europa Conference League qualifiers game against West Ham. He scored three goals before they were knocked out. Presently he has played 13 games in the Danish top division.
His case is a bit different from Mark Ugboh, a young goalkeeper at FC Midtjylland. However the fact that he is now a part of the first team at the age of 18 and going by what has been said about him by his coaches. He would have no doubt be a positive addition. This season he has been named on the bench twice in European Cup games and thrice in the league.
From Sweden, there is ex Nasarawa United forward Silas Nwankwo. He has put behind him the whole controversies about his age with seven goals in 24 games. In Portugal there is Opeyemi Monsuru, the ex Nigeria U17 midfielder who started for top division side Vizela in their first league game of the season.
Moving down to Bulgaria, Emmanuel Umeh has been a revelation for Botev Plovdiv, after scoring thrice in two games for the B team, he was fast tracked to the main team. He has since made his top flight debut alongside another Nigerian Samuel Akere, he is also eligible for the present Nigeria U23 team. From the same team 19 year old Tochukwu Nadi has played in every game this season.
The above mentioned players are the few players, who are within the age limit and would have been available for the qualifiers but Salisu thought otherwise.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
