Obafemi Martins
In what could be yet
another topical discussion in Nigerian football, out of contract Super Eagles
coach, Stephen Keshi has effectively ruled out the chances of having Seattle
Sounders of America striker, Obafemi Martins and Manchester City wonder kid Kelechi
Iheanacho called up to the Eagles in the nearest future.
There have been
calls from different quarters for the inclusion of the 17-year-old prodigy
(Iheanacho), who shone brightly at the last FIFA U17 World Cup in
the United
Arab Emirates, to the Super Eagles, but Keshi, whose future with the team
remains uncertain at the moment, has killed whatever hopes Nigerians had of
seeing Iheanacho in the next qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
“Iheanacho hasn’t
been playing in the premier league and it simply tells you that Manchester City
wants him to get more experience,” said Keshi.
“He is not part of
the team (City) at the moment and he has to get more experience and maybe see
if he has what it takes to be there.”
According to Keshi,
Martins’ desire to return to the Super Eagles is admirable, but not possible
because according to him, the former Inter Milan striker has got to give a
chance to the younger players. “For Obafemi Martins, it’s good to
indicate interest to play for his country, as a former player of course.
“But we have other
players out there in his position, younger players. So we have to give younger
players a chance and the opportunity to grow,” Keshi insisted.
This will come as a
big shock to Martins, who hasn’t hidden his desire to return to the team and
had earlier said he hoped his good goal scoring form will earn him a recall.
However, Keshi has
obviously ended the chance of any of that happening, if he remains in charge.
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