Sport
Granat Says It’s Sad That Some Top Nigerian Players Won’t Play in Russia Friendly
Former Russian defender Vladimir Granat has shared his disappointment over the absence of some key Super Eagles players, especially Victor Osimhen, ahead of the upcoming friendly between Russia and Nigeria. The match is set for June 6 at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, has already named his squad, but it doesn’t include Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, or Calvin Bassey.
Granat feels this weakens the Nigerian team and believes it’s a missed opportunity for a strong contest. Speaking to Sport Express, he said he was hoping for a more competitive Nigerian side. “Nigeria is one of the toughest opponents recently. I was looking forward to a solid match,” Granat said. “It’s a shame that top players like Osimhen won’t be there. I wanted to see Nigeria bring their best team.”
He added that without their strongest lineup, the Super Eagles won’t be able to truly challenge Russia or test their own level on the world stage.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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