Sports
Anichebe Targets Eagles World Cup Shirt
Victor Anichebe is hoping he can regain full match fitness in time to be considered for a place in Lars Lagerback’s 23-man squad for South Africa.
The Everton youngster cracked a stunning effort home in Everton’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham on Saturday in his sixth appearance for the club after being out for nearly a year with torn ligaments in his ankle.
It was only his third start for the club and Anichebe told Tidesports source that while Premier League fitness is his primary focus, he also has an eye on the World Cup party.
“Fitness for the Premier League is my first target but I’d be lying if I said the World Cup is not in my thoughts.
“The Olympic Games was an unbelievable experience and to take part in a World Cup would top that especially with it being in Africa”.
Nigeria’s forward line is bursting at the seams with talent like Osaze Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Ayegbeni, Ike Uche, Chinedu Obasi and Michael Eneramo as well as the likes of Peter Utaka and Joseph Akpala. The big forward knows that competition will be stiff.
“Nigeria has a very good squad and plenty of attacking options so I am not suggesting for a minute that as soon as I am fit, I’ll be selected.
“I will have to prove myself to show that I am capable but I’m sure that everyone in the team still has something to prove nobody in the team has automatic selection.
“I’m not the coach he is the only one that can pick the team.”
Nigeria had an inconsistent African Nations Cup performance in Angola early in the year, and the forward says it was hard watching and not being involved.
“To be honest I missed playing football in general. Its hard just watching knowing that you’re not going to be involved for a while but my best wishes always gone to my team and my country.
“It would have been good to have gone to Angola but my main focus is to concentrate on getting myself fit again and playing well for my club, then maybe I can start thinking of playing for my country.
“I am very proud to be a Nigerian and it makes me even prouder to have represented my country so hopefully when I regain my fitness I can achieve this again.”
Anichebe was taken off with just over 20 minutes to play in that Birmingham game after landing awkwardly and rolling in pain on the turf, but he says he is fine.
“It is not as bad as we thought at first. It’s good,” he said.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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