Former Flying Eagles midfielder Ifeanyi Mathew is staking claim for a place in the Super Eagles.
Mathew has been in fantastic form for Swiss Super Lig club, FC Zurich this season.
The 26-year-old has featured in all of the club’s six league games this season.
The central midfielder has scored one goal and provided one assist in the current campaign.
The Super Eagles have struggled with the absence of a playmaker since the retirement of Austine Jay Okocha.
Mathew however believes he can help solve the problem.
”I strongly believe that I can contribute a lot to the Super Eagles. Austin Jay Okocha Okocha was a great player during his time in the Super Eagles. We all look up to him and other top midfielders while growing up,”Mathew told Completesports.com.
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“I’m not Okocha, but I believe I can make the Super Eagles stronger.”
The Super Eagles are among the 24 teams that will compete for the title at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jose Peseiro’s men will now shift attention to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe billed for November.
Before then, the three-time African champions will face the Greens of Saudi Arabia in a friendly next month.
Mathew hopes to be part of the Super Eagles squad for the game.
“I just hope the chance to play for the Super Eagles will come soon. There is a friendly coming against Saudi Arabia next month, which is another chance for the coach to try new players,”he added.
“It’s important for the coaches to monitor the Swiss League too. I will continue to do my best to show them I deserve to be in the Super Eagles.”
By Adeboye Amosu
11 Comments
Another talented midfielder with poor advisers and without sincere godfather…
God help this guy and nobody we need them on Super Eagles
A superb attacking midfielder, he will be a nice addition to the Eagles especially now we have killer strickers. We need that creativity in the middle of the park to make goal scoring easy for the team.
He is a good prospect.
We lack options in our AM. He will be a good inclusion unless the coach will add someone like Ebenezer in inter to the team or someone else that is praying in better league.
For me I don’t believe in all this small leagues but with the kind of attackers we have. If he could be a creative midfielder, that will help the team and help him as well.
Not everyone who knock the front door deserves to be welcomed into the main living room. But Ifeayi seemed to possess the confidence of a hungry player that deserves the attention of the National coach. Why not seriously have a look at him now.
If I were to be the coach of the super eagles. My formation will be 4231 . Adeleye osayi bassey ajayi Sanusi. The two holding midfielders will be iwobi and ndidi. Number 10 will be bonafice. Flank to he chukueze and lookman and top striker should be osimhen. The reason for putting bonafice as as 10 is cos of he is skillfull and tactical sounds . I think with this the super eagles can rule the world once again
Haha I sense paid names advocating for this dude, well done
Only ebere eze style of player we want not carpenter midfield that full super eagles,we just have only owobi as our creative midfield
@agbo you are right just watched his clips on YouTube, Mathew looks rigid , only Eze to be deserves to walk straight into super eagles. Chai that Eze would have made history with Nigeria, he plays like victor Moses. Since he said No to us we have to move on , then there is another player in Italian league name Folorunsho may be we a persuade him . He has played all 4 matches for Verona.
Thumbs up @Agbo.
Only Eberechi Eze and Tom Dele Bashiru are good additions. We have to invite Tom Dele Bashiru quickly because England are looking to cap in soon.
Super Eagles lack strong defensive midfielders, SE have three attacking midfielders with quality and talent, they are Iwobi,Aribo, Simon Moses then I can add Boniface, cause he has attacking midfield trait and sound tactical sense; I disagree with Bj Royal to put Iwobi as defensive midfielder , cause Iwobi must be SE number 10 , he has strong sound tactical sense, strong passing , reading the match so tightly, control the depth of midfield I think he is new Okocha, but Bj Royal you might but Alhassan Yusuf or Raphael Onyedika with Ndidi, so formation 4-2-3-1 of SE must be as follows: Uzoho-Ebuehi,Ajayi,Bassay,Sanusi- Ndidi,Alhassan or Onyedika- Lookman,Iwobi,Chukuwueze- Osimhen; or if Peseiro play with 4-4-2 he must put the formation as follows: Uzoho-Osayi,Ajayi,Bassay,Sanusi- Ndidi,Iwobi,Lookman,Simon Moses-Boniface, Osimhen or Moffi(Boniface sub.).SE have been lacking the depth in defensive midfield and center backs errors which have cost them many CAF cups, so if Peseiro would like to win this next CAF Cup in Quate De’ Ivore 13 january 2024 he must put strong and rigorous tactics for SE defensive midfield and center defense with strong and sound tactics with summoning strong and rigorous players like Al hassan Yusuf, Anderson Esiti,Ifeanyi Matthew, Azubiuke Okechukwu; Peseiro must put a consonant oyibo in order to make SE oyibo in stability.