Nigerians’ positions in top European leagues excite Lawal

Former international, Garba Lawal, has stated that he can’t wait to watch the Nigerian players back in actions again in the new season across Europe, which kick-started with the French Ligue 1 last week and the commencement of the English Premier League with the Community Shield between English FA Cup winner, Arsenal and League Champions, Liverpool.

Lawal, who cited Super Eagles striker and Napoli’s new recruit, Victor Osimhen, as one of the players he would look out for among the legions of Nigerian Internationals in Europe, stated that the English Premier League’s Leicester City, Wilfred Ndidi and La Liga’s Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze, among others, would attract his audience.

He added that for them to be in their best in order to win their coaches’ confidence that must be determined to soar high this new season.

“Despite the players not having enough rest after the end of the leagues last season across Europe, I am excited and looking forward to watching many of our players back in actions in the new season. Though it won’t be easy for them, it also necessary to see the leagues back after the coronavirus pandemic effect.”

“It is also good to see our players playing week in, week out, in their various leagues in Europe. This will be important for us whenever we need them to play for the country. But at times, when a player works hard to please his coach, the coach sometimes might have different opinion about him,” he said, adding that the Nigerian internationals must make sure they go extra miles to be able to feature for clubs regularly.

“European football is about giving your best, which at times may be slowed down by injuries or needless accumulation of cards that may lead to a suspension. And in case a player is brought in as a replacement, only time will tell if there will be any need for the coach to bring back the first choice player of that position back after the match ban or from injuries. That means it may be difficult for such a player to regain back his position.

“I hope our players will give 100 per cent performance in every game they play. Though, sometimes, it’s difficult to show same good form at every game, which is a normal thing as a human being. Osimhen is young and still learning and I hope he scores goals because his position is very vital, as a striker, among top other players in Napoli,” he said.

The former Nigeria Football Federation Technical Department member, however, added, Daniel Amokachi’s new post as the Special Assistant on Sports to the President, “is a fantastic one. He is a guy with a lot of passion for sports. He is everything you can think of in sports with a lot of versatility.

“The thought of having the opportunity to share ideas with him on the forward for sports in the country is massive for me. The ideas on how things should be done would be shared with him eye-to-eye and mouth-to-mouth or through a call. These ideas are not the ones you share with journalists or on the social media,” he stated.