Tunde Folawiyo

Ademola Olajire, a spokesperson from the NFF (Nigerian Football Federation), has confirmed that Nigeria will be playing against Rwanda at the U.J Esuene Stadium, on the 6th of September. Whilst it had been previously reported that the match would be held at Abuja National Stadium, the conditions of this pitch have since been deemed unsuitable.

Olajire also added that the federation were working hard to make sure that the Super Eagles are ready for the qualifying stage. As a football fanatic, Tunde Folawiyo probably knows that of the four clubs which will be playing in the Group-A matches (Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan and South Africa), only the teams who finish in first and second place will progress to the tournament in Morocco next year.

Keshi, having returned after a long absence, is focusing his attention on preparing the team for their qualifying matches, which are now just a few weeks away. He has said that he is pleased with the general levels of fitness displayed by the players, and is particularly impressed with how quickly certain injured team members have recovered.

Several players, including Elderson Echiejile, Leon Balogun and Bright Dike were all left out of the World Cup due to their injuries, and two squad members – Ogenyi Onazi and Michael Babatunde – were both hurt during the Eagles’ matches in Brazil. Luckily, they have all now recovered, and are back to training with the rest of the team.

It will doubtless come as a relief to Tunde Folawiyo to hear that Keshi is confident that all of the players are prepared for their upcoming matches. Having spoken to each of them individually, the coach is now satisfied that they will be able to meet the expectations of their fans. He noted that the team are now entering a new phase, during which they are going to build on the skills acquired over the last two years. The coach acknowledged that they still have a number of weak areas which need to be worked on, but added that he was certain that they can address these issues quite easily.

Whether or not he will invite some new players into the club to improve these weak spots is unclear. However, the manager Manu Garba has called on Keshi to at least consider giving Kelechi Iheanacho the opportunity to prove himself at senior level. The 17-year old has done exceptionally well with the Nigerian U-17 team, and is settling in well at Manchester City. Garba claims that Iheanacho has more talent than many of City’s top players, and that Keshi’s team would benefit greatly from bringing him on board.

Folawiyo has been a supporter of the Super Eagles for a considerable length of time, and enjoys keeping up to date with the team’s performances. However, he does also occasionally watch other major sporting events, such as the 2013 Lagos Polo International Tournament.

Manu Garba, coach of the Flying Eagles, has urged Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi to give Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho a shot at playing for the Nigerian national team . The young super talent has demonstrated outstanding talent on the field in recent months, making waves throughout the sport as a force to be reckoned with. His performances for the Premier League have impressed both fans and coaching staff alike, prompting questions of the 17-year-old’s future with Nigeria. Tunde Folawiyo and others with a passion for Nigerian football may welcome the young player as a new, talented asset.

Although young, Iheanacho’s achievements on the field are undisputable. Mere months after aiding Nigeria to win to clinch FIFA’s U-17 World Cup, the player continued to display tremendous talent. Manu believes Iheanacho to be amongst Manchester City’s most talented players, capable of contributing much to the Super Eagles. He praised his goalscoring abilities and other unique qualities. He recalled the player scoring four or five goals during U17 training.

Iheanacho made his Manchester City debut during the team’s 2014 United States preseason tour, scoring twice during their first games. The team is currently exploring options to acquire a Great Britain work permit, though the permit may not be granted for a football player younger than age 18. Named CAF’s 2013 Most Promising Youngster, Iheanacho’s potential bares no end in sight. The striker won the distinguished Golden Ball for his performance during Nigeria’s victory at the U-17 Cup, further demonstrating his widely received reputation as one of the sports’ most promising young stars. With six goals and a thrilling seven assists during the series, Iheanacho would undoubtedly prove of great value to Nigeria.

The departure of beloved Super Eagles stars Jay-Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo has prompted a renewed necessity for talented players with staying power. Super Eagles fans may be delighted at the prospect of bringing the 17-year-old on board to breathe new life into the team who has both simultaneously impressed and disappointed fans in recent years. With the controversy surrounding the fate of Coach Stephen Keshi, recruiting the young talent may bring upon a new sense of hope for both fans and players alike. Tunde Folawiyo and millions of other Super Eagles fans throughout Nigeria and beyond may find great comfort in Keshi’s coaching decision if he does indeed decide to bring the player on board. Visit his site for more information about Tunde Folawiyo’s involvement with the 2013 Lagos Polo International Tournament.