Chidozie Awaziem has been called up as replacement for Jamilu Collins ahead of the Super Eagles’ international friendly games against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.
Collins’ withdrawal from the 25-man squad was announced on the Super Eagles D handle on Monday. Though, no reason was given for his withdrawal.
The Cardiff City left-back is the third Super Eagles player to pull out of the friendly games.
Also Read: I’m Grateful, Blessed For This Opportunity —Babajide Reacts To First Super Falcons Call-up
On Sunday, it was disclosed that Nottingham Forest duo Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina will miss the games due to injuries.
They have since been replaced by Tyronne Ebuehi and Umar Sadiq.
The Super Eagles will take on Saudi Arabia on Friday, 13 October before facing Mozambique on Monday, 16 October.
Both friendly games will take place in Portugal.
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21 Comments
Fantastic addition!Quality footballer!
LET CYRIEL DESSERS REPLACE AWONIYI,
NOT SADIQ UMAR
@JULIET why do you guys rate Desser’s so highly??..
Tell me Playing for La Liga or Playing for Scottish Spl which is much tougher. Playing UCL or Europa League which is tougher?. Umar Sadiq before his injury banged in almost 21 goals 1 season for Almeria in La Liga what is Dessers highest ever goal return in a single season in Europe?. Please man Sadiq Umar is a much more superior Player to this Dessers guy you people keep on going on about. Let us be honest to ourselves. Sadiq is regaining fitness and will reclaim his starting place for Real Sociedad Let us not also forget he was a Marquee signing for Sociedad last season before his unfortunate Season ending injury and he had already contributed 3 goals in the first 2 games before his injury last season.
Go and Read news on Dessers in SPL he is not convincing and Rangers are already looking to offload him after 7 games.
@JULIET Sadiq single handedly carried Almeria to La Liga promotion with 18 goals 9 assists in 36 matches.
started last season 22/23 with 2 goals for Almeria and signed for Sociedad same seaon early on scored on his debut before that unfortunate injury
Some people don’t know football when a player loses form they call him trash Umar Sadiq has been out on injury since last season that is why u they haven’t heard of him if not he is a good striker sociedad signed from almeria his now back and running and as for ekong he is the thiago Silva in super eagles yes his performance hasn’t been good because of some issues he has had over the years in his club but lat season he did well in Italy and this season he is doing well at Greece just watch out for is next appearance.
The replacements of late are on point. Collins knows something he is yet to tell anyone that is why he did the honorable thing to pull out of this tie. I hope it stays like this so the super eagles team selection will be based on merit for the first time in decades.
Awaziem deserves to be back!
One of the most improved defenders this season..
Collins might have lost a very huge opportunity before sanusi will be back for the next games..
I expect awaziem to torment the defense pair of bassy and ajayi.. he was there before them and knows what is expected of him..
Good call up by coach
Very good addition with experience, technical and rugged. I’m loving the improvements in our defense except the goalkeeping. I’m looking forward to these friendlies as some players on the outside looking in have been recalled or called up to provide more competition. The level of competition in the team recently is something to be excited about. As it will surely bring out the best in the collective play of the team.
awaziem is an experienced defender that can play as a right back or centre-back. he should be a part of the super eagles main team, although he really wasn’t’ the soluion to our defensive woes. sadiq umar is not having the best of times in spain but he is getting game time and i want to believe that with time he will discover his best goal scoring form. he has Nations cup experience and though he may not start in the friendly games or make IT to the nations cup if awoniyi recovers, he is a very good option to have on standby. i rate him higher than paul onuachu
Per reports, Gift Orban might not play for the SE for a long time.He did not played the match against Sao Tome not because he was injured but the Togolese FA wrote a letter to the NFF showing evidences that dude was Togolese! Even though everyone knew his dad to be Nigerian from Taraku in Benue state.Apparently, dude must have committed to them while playing there.It is the disappointment that have led to his dip in form and also been left out of the friendly game until the issues surrounding his nationality is sorted out.Recall that while he was in the SE camp, he gave an interview lambasting the Togolese FA that he does not want to play for them.But given the shortage of quality players in Togo, I very much doubt if they will let go
@toni Nigerians and thier destructive media. How can one FA stop an eligible player representing one of his Eligible countries of choice?. Lol.. so Nigeria should have stopped Saka from playing for England France should have stopped Mahrez lol. The choice is the players to chose his desired country to represent not the FA if Orban chose Nigeria then he is playing for Nigeria. Don’t listen to Own Goal Nigeria they are a destructive media house.. Orban did not get selected because at present he is out of form. Period.
What a rubbish and childish report, i am verry proud to be a Nigerian, but our people are so verry desperate for money and fame, they will give excuses of poverty and poor govt, as if we are the poorest country in the world, if you dont have any news stay mute and stop reporting rubbish, i followed the news in some webs, i was trying to reaď meaning to it yet it doesnt make any sense, i have to ceck calender again to be sure if we are not in april, they are not making sense at all, no prove of him representing togo in any national level, not even under age grade football. Reporting negetively on a player that is currently dipressed is verry awkward, even with fifa new upgrades, national team players with low games count can still switch nationalities, or someone in the togolese FA is bribing them to frustrate the young player for choosing the african giant over them,
My advice for togo and benin republika, they should apply to become Nigeria 37th and 38th states and start enjoying the groove, its not too late, potorico joined the USA less than 10 years ago, because with the way that wicked greedy France take cut them small small they dont have any chance onless they borów from the giant eg ( adebayor, omotoyosi)
I tire oh!!! Read that stuff yesterday on another website and it didn’t make sense. I’ve always known the choice to be the player’s, unless if he has represented Togo at some point, which the report didn’t mention
@toni point of correction his dip in form is down to His failed move to England Tottenham Hotspur from Gent nothing to do with International ball. If Togo FA like let them Jump and run helta skelta the boy has made his choice and FIFA and CAF will just laugh at Togo, And Orban is more Nigerian than togolese in African culture because his father is Nigerian. period. I mean Plumptee grandfather is Nigerian why did England not stop her.
Players will always chose the strongest nation to represent hence we lose alot of Players to England historically so Togo must are crying wolf. They have no leg to stand on with Orban’s case the Chose Nigeria
It’s a good thing that many of the players now in the list are just returning to the super eagles team after other players have done well in their absence.. they need noone to tell them to perform or get sent out from future invitations..
In the defense we are welcoming: Kenneth ( didn’t play the last game due to suspension), Jordan, awaziem and Samuel ( wasn’t called up for the Last game). Most of the above know that so many players are waiting to grab their position from them and some of these players were only absent due to injuries and so other reasons.
In midfield: aribo has one more chance to prove himself worthy of wearing the no10.. if the new boy basiru shows he is better, aribo show kiss goodbye to the kiss.
In the attack: saqiq and moffi are returning to the team and what a time is it with a new boy like Boniface looking like a player that has been with the big boys for years.. no one needs to tell moffi and Sadiq that if they do not do well their place in the afcon will be taken by another.. an orban, tella, akpom, akor even an awoniyi can grab the positions of the above if any fails to perform..
So much competition in the team From defense to attack..
Our goalkeeper are having their free time.. some are not seen game Time for their club since the beginning of the new season but soon an okonkwo and Atubolu will switch to the Nigerian team and they will be sent out of the team if their conditions in their club side doesn’t improve
Well, well, well, what can we read to the snubbing of Kevin Akpoguma and William Troost Ekong for upcoming friendlies?
Without having insider knowledge to the rationale behind the selection of players, it is rather impossible to eliminate guesswork from the equation. So, my guess is that both Akpoguma and Ekong are now so low in the pecking order of Super Eagles defenders that it will take multiple injuries to multiple defenders for them to get a look-in.
Although Leon Balogun hasn’t formally announced his retirement from international football, being left out in the cold for so long will end up freezing him into the cold hands of retirement anyway. But, if fit, I personally will still pick Leon Balogun presently ahead of William Troost Ekong and even Kevin Akpoguma any day of the week.
Akpoguma has not really grabbed his Super Eagles chances by the scruff of its neck. Indifferent performances here and there in centre defence and at right fullback has left some of us fans scratching our heads as to what he actually brings to the table.
William Troost Ekong has always had one clanger too many in him for my liken. From his Rugby tackle against Croatia in 2018 to a damaging own goal against Algeria in the Afcon semi final and a comical miscommunication against Central Africa Republic in Lagos, his catalogue of gaffs seems as long as the Third Mainland Bridge.
But I don’t mind Ekong and Akpoguma. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and are quite passionate about representing Nigeria, Ekong in particular.
But with Awaziem and Ebuehi preferred to both of them as replacements for injured players in upcoming friendlies, you have to wonder how further low in the pecking order both players will fall.
My sense is that Peseiro has a penchant for players with dynamic capabilities which aids their deployment in multiple fronts. Ebuehi and Awaziem are quite pliable. Ekong is rigid and Akpoguma is admittedly a jack of multiple defensive trades but sadly, master of none in Super Eagles colours.
But football is beautiful. Between now and the 2026 World Cup, there are very many matches to be played. Who knows, Akpoguma and Ekong may just experience a rich vein of form in coming games in club football which will force the hand of the coaching crew and willing critics (like me) to see them in a more favourable light.
For now though, the likes of Ajayi, Bassey, Torunariga, Awaziem and Omeruo (another controversial selection) are the names to remember, names to attempt to displace, names more favourable to Super Eagles handlers and a healthy body of fans.
@Deo, you nailed it all, infact you talk am as he just be, to be honest, this invited diffenders expecially the centra backs are the best Nigeria can offer, the likes of akp,ekong,balogun should Forget the team for now, i will not rule out akpoguma totally, because he still have age on his side, our central diffense cannot be better than this, the only possible addition that will really make a sense is oliseh ndah if omeruo age becomes an issue. the likes of adarabioyo and tomori are nolonger worth clamouring for. Aweziem is verry important, i prefer him to ebuehi and osayi in that right back, he is solid diffensively and inteligent in ofense, if he fails to make the centralback spot because i strongly believe that pesero will take four central backs which are omeruo,ajayi,tuonarigha, and bassey, unless any of them gets injured, sanusi and bruno will keep the left wing back, that right side should be for aina and awaziem, awaziem did well in afcon 2019 and against brazil etc, the addition of sadiq is a real sign of saying a final goodbye to musa, but i rather prefer akor adams to sadiq as to be honest and fair, sadiq is not supereagles material no caping.
Flying eagles keeper aiyagboso have signed for a top ukrainian side, if the guy get games time before january he may just come and drive out those baskets. Can anybody give me information about akpeyi? I beg make Una nor vess i still love akpeyi, he may have his flops but that guy is a good one on one saviour he is better than all our current goalkeepers, even ajiboye is better than them too.
One of my issues with Awaziem is that he thrives a lot more when he plays in a three man at the back. Oftentimes, he is a huge suspect when he played in a back four.
Mercy, I am afraid the facts do not ENTIRELY back up your statement. In the 2019 Afcon, Awaziem was the “field marshals” (if I am to borrow the title of a rather disruptive and obnoxious member of this forum:) ) of the right fullback position where he acquitted himself with flying colours.
The formation used by Gernot Rohr in that tournament only had 4 defenders (Awaziem – Omeruo – Ekong – Aina or Collins)
However, I still think there is a measure of merit in what you said.
You once accused me of always making love to the 5-3-2 formation. Well, one of the reasons is because I didn’t trust Balogun, Ekong, Omeruo and Awaziem to be centre backs in a 4-man defensive backline under Gernot Rohr.
Whenever Rohr played a 5-man defense, I was more comfortable as it minimised the occurrence of damaging and comical errors to which Ekong, Balogun, Awaziem and Omeruo were often prone to.
I felt we were more solid under Gernot Rohr with a 5-man defensive wall which is why I was never surprised to see him revert to 5-3-2 when his back was against the wall.
Brother 352 should be renamed after you lol.
Back to the topic, Awaziem had the best club career up to date in Leganes and Nantes fc playing as a back three. Some of his best games in SE were games he played in a back three. At 2019 he only started playing when Collins was injured and aina was moved to a the left back.
‘At 2019 he only started playing when Collins was injured and Aina was moved to a the left back’….. Whereupon Collins shone like a million stars.