Rohr explains decision to leave Onyekuru on bench
Algeria’s midfielder Ismail Bennacer (C) is marked by Nigeria’s forward Henry Onyekuru (R) during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Semi-final football match between Algeria and Nigeria at the Cairo International stadium in Cairo on July 14, 2019. MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP
Super Eagles’ boss, Gernot Rohr has explained his decision to not yet utilize Henry Onyekuru during the Africa Cup of Nations, reports liverpoolecho.co.uk. The Everton forward enjoyed a sensational season on loan at Galatasaray last year, scoring 16 goals and registering six assists as the Turks won a league and cup double. But despite his domestic exploits, the 22-year-old is yet to feature for Nigeria in Egypt and with his lack of action potentially detrimental to his chances of gaining a work permit to play for Marco Silva ‘s side.
The Super Eagles faced Algeria in one of the semifinals yesterday. Speaking ahead of the final four meetings, Rohr explained why Onyekuru is yet to feature at the tournament before hinting at a potential reprieve for the forward as he considers a selection u-turn.
“We had two changes before the game against South Africa, the winning team against Cameroun has been changed and it is possible that we will change the team again because all the players are ready to go,” he said.
“We have nine strikers in the team, played seven but we cannot play all of them at the same time. The young are also here to learn.“Out of 23 players, 20 players have played already which is a lot and I hope we can see the other two [Osimhen & Onyekuru].“It is difficult for the third goalkeeper coming in. The moment has come to bring the best team against Algeria.”
