An explanation on the decision to hand Samuel Chukwueze the number ten jersey of the Super Eagles of Nigeria on his debut game against Uganda has been provided by coach of the team Gernot Rohr.
In a session with journalist in Lagos, the Franco-German coach was asked if the decision to hand Chukwueze the number ten shirt which is the shirt number of the captain of the Nigerian team means he is preparing him to take over from the captain.
The coach responded by saying, the Villarreal teen wonder only wore the shirt number before confirming that captain of the Super Eagles John Obi Mikel is still very much in his plans for the senior national team of Nigeria.
“That (Samuel) Chukwueze wore the number 10 jersey against Uganda doesn’t translate to being a replacement for Mikel. It’s just a jersey number he used,” Rohr explained.
“Mikel remains in our plans and we all know why he has been out of the team. Mikel Obi will decide if he wants to play at AFCON 2019. He was omitted because of fitness issues, but we will look at his performance before the tournament.
“After the FIFA World Cup in Russia Obi Mikel wanted to take a break. He told me he needed rest and motivation. When he is ready, he will be back. Mikel is a fantastic captain.”
