FC Porto of Portugal defender Zaidu Sanusi has finally arrived Nigeria’s camp ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures against Liberia and Cape Verde, reports Completesports.com.
Sanusi breezed into the team’s Eko Hotel camp on Thursday morning.
He is expected to have his first training session with the team later on Thursday.
The Super Eagles will face the Lone Stars of Liberia on Friday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Read Also: Super Eagles Camp Update: Aribo, Onuachu, Awaziem In; Sanusi Still Missing
Gernot Rohr’s charges will then take on the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde four days later at the Estádio Municipal Adérito Sena , Mindelo.
The 29 Players In Camp
Goalkeepers
Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders
Jamilu Coliins, Valentine Ozorwanfor, Shehu Abdullahi, Adekunle Adeleke, Kenneth Omeruo, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Ola Aina , Tyronne Ebuehi, Chidozie Awaziem, Zaidu Sanusi
Midfielders
Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Moses Simon, Kingsley Michael, Innocent Bonke, Joe Aribo
Strikers
Kelechi Iheanacho, Terem Moffi, Ahmed Musa, Chidera Ejuke, Henry Onyekuru , Victor Osimhen , Paul Onuachu
17 Comments
Defence still manageable against caoe Verde if eight players leave.
Omerou awaziem sanusi aina, ebuehi etc
Attack still deadly
Oshimen, onuachu moffi etc
Wing still deadly
Kalu ejuke onyekuru Musa
But.. midfield my big fear
??? Forumites help me out…
Abdullahi Shehu,Bonke Innocent, Kingsley Michael are still good enough talent in the midfield to wrestle out a result in Cape Verde
Thanks @Greenhurf
That shehu guy is yet to convince me in all honesty.
That guy won’t even make cape Verde national team IMO……it baffles me why Rhor still invites him…..A Nigerian world cup and nations cup veteran of 30+ caps for a Big footballing nation like Nigeria but plying his trade in Cyprus…..A league guys on the street move to with ease and hold their own there…… Standard should be respected abeg.
Please, kindly list the names of those your “guys on the street” who moved to Cyprus league and are currently holding their own there…?! Please we will like to know them.
He doesnt need to convince you. He convinced John Obuh, convinced Keshi, convinced Siasia, convinced Oliseh, and now convincing Rohr.
Please where do you feature in the storyline that he should now convince you….?
The boy came in for Etebo on that horrible pitch in Freetown and instantly stabilized our midfield in that game. The boy held the RB position firmly for us for years under multiple coaches before we got natural FBs to fill in the position…..till now we still cant get 1 player who can COMFORTABLY play both positions without fear or anxiety and you still want him to convince you……LMAOooo?
Dont worry, he will shed his blood on the pitch for you one of these days
Let him continue shedding his blood for his father land, I said what I feel about him after watching him time and time again, and that’s my position, reason he is always a backup player till now.
While Im also saying you dont even feature in the discussion around people he needs to convince, because he has been a regular for Nigeria at different levels U21, CHAN, Olympics and SE without blemish, under 5 different coaches. So he doesnt need to convince you.
His lack of flamboyance and conservative nature is probably his limitation, but he still brings the type of versatility no other midfielder brings to the SE at the moment, a la Garba Lawal, hence his continued relevance in the scheme of things. So sorry for that piece of unpleasant news to your ears.
@Christian ministries Nigeria
I didn’t expect that you would leave out Simon Moses in your list of wingers, as he remains one of Eagles’ best wingers.
That being said.
As regards the midfield department of the SE, there might not be as many quality personnel in the midfield area as there are in the defence and attacking areas,however, the presence of Ndidi in the defensive midfield area with the addition of Innocent Bonnke and Shehu Abudullahi, who doubles as a right back, should inspire a lot of confidence in the team. Whilst the team is lacking in attacking midfield player in the mould of Jay Jay and Mikel, yet the team can make do with do the services of Alex Iwobi, Joe Aribo and Etebo in the midfield. I think Iwobi has come of age in terms of ball passes, creativity, shooting but needs to be consistent.
@Fidelenny Thank you for singling out Iwobi for mention, he is really making me proud this season long may it continue.
In saying that, Moses simon is not better than Iwobi or Chukwueze on the wings. He is good but not the best we have. Rohr seems to like him and he always delivers when he is introduced onto the pitch but, a game changer and Match winner that profile is more suitable for wingers( as We are on the Topic of Wingers) like Chukwueze or Iwobi and Hopefully Ademola Lookman if his switch will ever be set in stone.
But I agree Simon does give his all when He is introduced and usually to good effect although sometimes he can be a little slow in transition.
I do feel rohr should try ejuke as a 10 in cape v.i don’t know how successful it will b but I feel it will work.
Against Cape Verde, our players who have been hiding behind a finger for a very long time, will finally be exposed. That match may afford us the opportunity to take a final decision on Awaziem, Omeruo, Shehu, Ozonwafor, Musa, and a host of others. If they don’t represent us well in the absence of our regulars, that may mark the beginning of the end of their invitation to the SE. They really have to psyche themselves up and fully prepare for the battle ahead, because we may not have need for them tomorrow but for sure, we will have a need for them on Tuesday. If we win or even get a draw in that match, we will not really bother about specifics like who did what and who didn’t do what. But if we lose, that is when we will critically dissect the team’s performance and critically assess each of the players. They should up their game. That’s my one cent to them
@ drey if you like shehu so much then tell him to move to a respectable club in Europe at least…..The national team of a big footballing nation like Nigeria should have standards…..if you are clamouring for shehu to remain in the national team then why kicking against those clamouring for home based players to be in the national team???…..let us kukuma throw standards away once and for all na…….At least if shehu can not see shirt in the top 5 league There is Belgium Russia Turkey Portugal Holland he should be able to play there na…..haba
Standards is the reason Shehu lost his starting place in the SE in the first instance. Standards is the reason he doesnt get called upp all the time but still manages to be remembered for a call up at times like these when we run into a state of emergency. He had been our undisputed right back for years until we found RBs playing in bigger and more competitive leagues. But we keep going back to him because of his versatility which always comes in handy whenever we need it.
So its not about Shehu moving to top 5…he has proven himself in the Portuguese League before now. It is about others making us to forget about him completely by offering the value and luxury Shehu offers us that they do not. There must be something he had/has that made all 5 national coaches he has played under trust him, yet he has never disappointed….either at RB or in midfield….be it at U20 WC, CHAN, the Olympics or in Crucial full international caps and world cup qualification….I can remember Shehu ever putting a foot wrong in a Green and White. If you remember any game where he was awful, without sentiments and prejudice, fell free to remind us.
He indeed has nothing to prove to anybody anymore. That something that he has that made him a Mr reliable under 5 national coaches is what those who want him out of the team have to provide as their own comparative advantage. Those who want to prove themselves better are the ones who would have to offer better and play at bigger levels than those on ground.
Meanwhile we are still begging and waiting for you to please, kindly list the names of those your “guys on the street” who moved to Cyprus league with ease and held/are currently holding their own there…?! Please we will like to know them.
No creative midfielder after the first game if all the uk based players leave. This is an error in my opinion. Innocent and kingsley are defensive players. The coach should have considered inviting players like nwobodo obinna, alhassn yusuf or even nwakali kelechi. Now he will be looking to play only defensive midfielders in the middle and hope they can do a decent job there. Our game will be predicable as the team will most likely attack from the wings,as the midfield will lack creativity. I sincerely hope we wont be playing for a,draw on the day. Taking six points out of six would be a good way to start the qualifiers.
I remember in those days when CSN is rolling out the names of the players, they put in bracket their club side. I have been reading COMPLETE SPORT since nineties it was always so, but now what’s happening?