Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has not given up on Ebenezer Akinsamiro despite not giving him a minute at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Akinsamiro was included in the squad by the coach for the tournament owing to his performance for Pisa, where he is on loan from Italian Serie A giants Roma.
He failed to properly assert himself in training, forcing the coach to drop him down the pecking order behind the unheralded Tochukwu Nnadi who was then a player of Zulte Waregem.
Nnadi proved Chelle right with his move to Marseille after the AFCON, while Akinsamiro struggled to get going at Pisa with his role reduced to bit part since his return.
However, Chelle is still hopeful that the 21 year old will have a good international career and has pencilled him down for action at the Unity Cup, which will be used for fringe players and also those in less glamorous but competitive European leagues.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
