Eric Chelle Invites Defender Who Subdued Romelu Lukaku for World Cup Qualifiers
- Eric Chelle has invited an impressive Nigerian star who is currently one of the best defenders in Europe
- West Brom star Semi Ajayi has been ruled out of the forthcoming matches, but it seems the manager has found a formidable replacement
- Nigeria take on Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium on March 21, before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later
With just about three weeks before the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is setting up his squad.
Nigeria take a trip to Kigali where they will face the Amavubi of Rwanda on March 21 before they return to Uyo where they host Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles have struggled in the qualifiers having failed to win any of their four matches played so far.
Source: Getty Images
With three draws and a loss, they have managed just three points, while Rwanda, South Africa and Benin all have seven points each.
On January 5, the Nigeria Football Federation announced the appointment of Franco-Malian tactician Chelle to take charge of the team.
The manager, who has been mandated to secure the World Cup ticket, has met with key players in the squad.
Eric Chelle invites Igoh Ogbu
Reports say that Slavia Prague defender Igoh Ogbu has been invited to the team for the forthcoming matches.
Score Nigeria reports that the lanky defender comes in as a replacement for the injured Semi Ajayi.
Ogbu has been impressive in Europe this season, and his performances have caught the attention of the Super Eagles' handlers.
The 25-year-old has featured in 23 matches in all competitions this season as they look good to winning the league title.
Ogbu was a member of the Nigeria U20 team at the 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He had stints with Norwegian sides Rosenborg, Lavenger, Sognddall and Lillestrøm before joining Slavia Prague in January 2023.
A no-nonsense defender
Ogbu can hold his place as one of the strongest defenders in Europe right now as he faced the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Olivier Giroud, and Omar Marmoush in the Europa League last season.
He told Tribal Football via Brila:
“Playing against Giroud, Lukaku, and Marmoush can be described as a good experience for me, a great thing.
“Lukaku is a very strong striker, Olivier Giroud, and Marmoush as well, who everybody knows; the experience is there. I wasn’t stressed at all.”
He was impressive in their 3-1 loss to AC Milan where he made things tough for Olivier Giroud.
Source: Getty Images
Ogbu also stood his ground in two fiercely contested matches against Roma, effectively neutralising Lukaku’s impact within Slavia’s three-man defensive setup.
Chelle to take stance on Ahmed Musa
Legit.ng earlier reported that it remains uncertain if Ahmed Musa would return to the Super Eagles set-up.
The Super Eagles captain inspired a comeback victory for Kano Pillars 2-1 against Enugu Rangers on Sunday.
Reports have it that the former Leicester City star is being considered for a return.
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Source: Legit.ng
