Wigan Athletic have issued a congratulatory message to Leon Balogun in the wake of the central defender earning a recall to Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles, Completesports.com reports.
Ahead of the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying double header with Sierra Leone later this month, Balogun has been named in a 24-man list by Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr.
The Latics tweeted on their verified Twitter handle with a flag icon of Nigeria: “@LeonBalogun set for @NGSuperEagles duty later this month!”
Balogun also received another congratulatory message from his club team-mate and Egyptian international, Sam Morsy who wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations habeeby.”
It’s Balogun’s first call-up in six months with the 31-year-old having last been invited for national team duties in September last year.
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Balogun had, however, previously formed a very strong centre-back partnership with William Troost-Ekong in the Super Eagles which many referred to as the ‘Oyinbo Wall’.
But the ex-Mainz star was out of the national team since the end of the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Egypt due to lack of playing time at Brighton Hove & Albion.
Balogun has now rediscovered his form since leaving parent club, Brighton for Wigan during the winter transfer window in January and presently playing regularly.
Wigan have not lost only a game that Balogun played Last Saturday, the Latics extended their unbeaten run in that time to five, keeping three clean sheets while stunning the Championship leaders, West Brom 1-0 at the Hawthorns.
By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
5 Comments
C’mon Bro
Congratulations, am glad that you are back.
Haha No be small Habeeby
Carry go, Leon. Dem dey craze for that Brighton and Hove. May another person’s ignorance never constitute an emergency for us. A football club that doesn’t know how to identify good players. Hope Leon transfers permanently to the Latics.
I’m so happy he is back to the super eagles.