Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr has been speaking about how his team will outwit South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match.
He also noted that Nigeria will face a major challenge when they tackle South Africa adding that it has to do with injuries to some of his key players.
First choice right back Abdullahi Shehu was omitted from the latest roster on account of injury and joining the defender on the treatment table are the top scorer in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Odion Ighalo and goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who has played every single minute for the national team in 2018.
In addition, Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has not been invited to the national team for the first time in 32 months after picking up his second yellow card of the qualifiers against Libya in Sfax, while Obi Mikel has taken a sabbatical.
”The challenge is to replace the players that are injured, to replace our goalkeeper, to replace our goalscorer, to replace our usual captain Obi Mikel but we have done it already and also to replace Ndidi who is suspended, so there are few challenges for some new players,” said Rohr to Channels Television.
”But we have a good team and a young team and a good spirit and I hope they can do it.
”The missing players will not be forgotten but I have to do without them.”
Hapoel Beer Sheva star John Ogu is in contention to make his first competitive start for the Super Eagles in five years against South Africa due to the absence of Ndidi, while Chelsea loanee Ola Aina has been touted as the favorite to replace Shehu.
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