By Adeboye Amosu:
Super Eagles coach, Gernet Rohr may face a major crisis ahead of next month’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa after two defenders, William Troost-Ekong and Kenneth Omeruo limped out out their respective clubs’ league games on Saturday, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Troost-Ekong, picked up an injury in his Italian side, Udinese 3-0 home loss to title hopefuls, Napoli and was replaced in the 35th minute by Ghanaian defender, Nicholas Opoku.
The 25-year-old has featured in all league games for Udinese this season following his summer arrival at the club from Bursaspor.
The centre-back missed the Super Eagles matchday-two 2019 AFCON qualifying fixture against Seychelles in September as a result of injury.
Omeruo who made his first start for Spanish club, Leganes in their 1-1 away draw against Valencia at the Estadio de Mestalla ,Valencia was replaced by Gerard Gumbau after sustaining an injury.
The extent of their injuries is not known at the moment, but Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr will hope they are not a long term ones.
Galatasaray forward, Henry Onyekuru has been ruled out of action for up to six weeks as a result of the injury he picked up in Nigeria’s last 2019 AFCON qualifying fixture against the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.
The Super Eagles top Group E with nine points from four games with South Africa who occupy second position trailing with just a point. Libya sit in third position with four points, while Seychelles have just one point.
The Bafana Bafana – Super Eagles clash will hold on November 17 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg.
COMMENTS
Listen to yourself “the extent of the injury is not known.” Complete Sports editors should stop making Nigerians and especially Super Eagles fan heartaches with your doomsday news. Nigeria is playing South Africa in 16th/17th which is roughly a month from yesterday and you think these guys will not be ok by then? If it was just one week to d-day, we will know. Please if you know of any misfortune of our players whenever they have “not know the extent of the injury”, monitor them and then raise the alarm a week to the match but since you have Gernot Rohr number, call him and tell him.
Well I hope omeruo and ekong will not be out for more than 2 weeks otherwise rohr should look at some players like Stephen eze and bring him back to pair with balogun. Awaziem should replace ndidi and pair with etebo. It’s also important that Mikel returns to help in the midfield against South Africa.
This will give Ajayi an opportunity to grab a shirt in this team. Personally I think they should stop inviting Awaziem. He looks too soft and too inexperienced. I would prefer Uche Agbo or Stephen Eze to him.
I am sorry to note that Troost-Ekong and Omeruo are injured for now. The Manager have to find suitable replacements as soon as possible. Balogun too seems to be declining in form also. He is not what he used to be during the World Cup period in Russia. Nigeria needs strong and highly mobile defense against those fast South African forward players if we are going to neutralize them.
Troost trained normally in their recovery session. Troost was substituted in a tactical move rather than because he was injured.
Omeruo data he hopes to be back within six days.
But Eze and Musa will give us good options
What’s Rohr doing about Lookmam , sheyi ojo,Eze and igbekeme, these are good ballers, these guys would be great additions to the national team. Rohr needs to wake up and invite these players. We need serious competition in super eagles, serious competition propelled France to win the last World Cup.
To bolster the defense and invite more competitions I think Stephen Eze and Musa Muhammed should be invited. The central defense is still shaky, and that’s mostly because Balogun is match rusty and Ekong is not completely reliable especially when Balogun is not beside him. Musa Muhammed provides better option than Idowu IMHO.
Gentle giant Eze and or Semi Ajayi should be breathing down their neck to stake a claim. Our midfield and attack should be just fine.
The defence shouldn’t be something that gives us headache. Seems to me like Coach Gernot Rohr is not a fan of Stephen Eze. This guy is very good and plays week in, week out for Lokomotiv Pluvdiv in Bulgaria. Also, we have (I call him THE ROTERHAM BEAST) Semi Ajayi. You just need to sit down and watch this guy play in the EFL, then you’ll know what am talking about.
I also want to use this medium to call on everyone to clamour for the inclusion of VICTOR OSHIMEN to the Super Eagles fold. He’s banging in goals lately in Belgium and shouldn’t be overlooked. Just this weekend(sunday), he scored 2 goals in the space of 5mins to hand Sporting Chaleroi a 3-2 win over Zulta-Wargarem
I think Osimhen had just found his range. However, I think it’s too early for him. Let him establish himself in the under 20s and under 23s first.
He has struggled to fit in both for his club Wolfsburg as well as with the national set up since 2015, he needs to prove consistency first.
He is still young and 5 goals in 7 games for Charleroi is fantastic. It seems he is a square peg in a square hole there, but there is no guarantee that if he goes anywhere else (club, country) he will do well.
Personally, I’d rather see the 2013 attackers work out a way to fit into the Super Eagles set up. Maybe drop Iheanacho to the under 23s to join Awoniyi there.
Give Success a decent chance to challenge Ighalo otherwise deep him there too.
The class of 2015 can populate the under 20s: Osimhen, Orji Okonkwo, Samuel Chukwueze, Kingsley Michael, Kelechi Nwakali etc or if they have crossed 20, them play them in the under 23s
Let’s look at the older players doing it in the pro leagues: Stephen Odey (Zurich 6 goals this season in 14 matches League, Cup and Europa) looks like the best bet to challenge the current SE strike force of Ighalo/Success.
Let’s stop pushing youngsters beyond their ability and having them frustrated when they don’t succeed. He has played two matches against Togo and the AFCON match against South Africa. LET HIM WORK HIS WAY UP.
Life na turn by turn and his turn will come
to me ive tired of clamouring for osimhen. but rohr is an huge fan of osimhen and believe so much in him. wen i was clamovring for osimhen, pple were clamouring for, kalu, nwakali, desser, junior ajayi, joel obi. so i was alone and i lost de battle to dem bcuz they dont see wat i was seeing in osimhen or they dont even knw sef dats y they dont join me. and in other part rohr who believe in de boy want to invite him, but nigerian fans were clamouring for another ones. i believe osimhen can score in every match for supereagle.
He has played two matches and not scored one for super eagles. His last match with the Super Eagles was the 2 nil loss to South Africa.
Let him pay his dues in the under 20s and under 23 first whilst he gains experience and consistency.
There are others ahead of him who need to fit into the style the super eagles have developed over the last few months.
At the moment Ighalo and Musa have formed a great partnership (7 goals and 5 assists between them) in the last 3 games. Let’s see how that partnership performs against South Africa.
Let’s also give S Odey a decent chance to push Ighalo
When complete sports says they are injured yes they are injured,injury will heal,then recovery as in fitness level matters so stop crying they complete sports wrong.
They complete Sports not wrong. Sorry earlier.
@BigD are you talking from diz world or from another world. which of de osimhen play 2match and fire blank. is he de osimhen dat play de last 4minute against south africa? and expect him to score wit dat 4minutes. and is it de friendly match against akwa united dat he provide de assist for ideye goal and again won de MOTM for gernot rhor first game. let me tel u dat was de game dat made rohr to have faith on osimhen.