Super Eagles assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf, has revealed why Hapoel Be’er Sheva midfielder John Ogu has been consistently excluded from the national team.
Yusuf who was a guest on Channels TV show Sports This Morning on Friday revealed that the 27-year-old midfielder is not highly rated due to the league he plays in but he will get his chance very soon.
Ogu who last featured for the Super Eagles in their 2-0 win over Chad in an African Nations Cup qualifier in Kaduna has been impressive for his Israeli club, winning the best foreign player in the league award last season and leading their Europa League campaign.
He was also instrumental in Hapoel Be’er Sheva lifting the title for the first time in 32 years but he has been left out of the Nigeria squad to face Zambia in a World Cup qualifier next month.
The quality and level of the league is a factor in deciding who is invited but Ogu will get his chance,” Yusuf said on the show. “Ogu is a good player and he’s been monitored so he will come in soon.”
Incidentally in the Super Eagles list for the game against Zambia, there are places for Nosa Igiebor who also plays in Israel, Shehu Abdulahi who plays for Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta and Musa Mohammed who is yet to feature for Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir so far this season.
The former Kano Pillars coach also reaffirmed the role of skipper Mikel Obi in the squad as a second holding midfielder in the team rather than the attacking midfield role he featured in at the Rio 2016 games in Brazil.
Yusuf also urged players to adapt to the pitch of the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium when the face Zambia next weekend.