19-year-old Akinkunmi Amoo of FC Copenhagen has expressed his excitement over his first senior team call-up for Nigeria.
The 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup star will be joining his teammates on Monday after being called up to the side by interim manager Augustine Eguavoen following impressive performances for former club Hammarby IF.
Amoo gets dream debut
Amoo also marked his full debut for his new club with a goal which sealed all three points for the club on Sunday, and is gearing up for a possible international debut against the Black Stars of Ghana.
Amoo could have made his debut at the African Cup of Nations in January after Odion Ighalo was pulled out of the tournament late into preparations, but CAF did not approve NFF's request to co-opt the teenage winger into the squad.
“It's really big for me to be with the national team for the first time. I'll be leaving tomorrow and it's going to be really exciting for me,” Amoo said to FC Copenhagen's official website after his debut goal.
“It's some incredibly important matches for the national team that are fighting to get to the World Cup finals, and I'm happy to be selected”.
Ghana is not a threat for Nigeria, former Super Eagles captain says
Elsewhere, “Chairman” Christian Chukwu has said that Ghana and Nigeria are not on the same level anymore in African football ahead of their clash.
The former coach and captain of the Super Eagles, who led the team to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations triumph at home in 1980, said this while speaking with THISDAY about the fixture.
Ghana vs Nigeria has been a tie in favour of Ghana according to history, but the 70-year-old encouraged the team to ignore that history and fear nothing as they approach the fixture.
“We have nothing to fear because the time of Ghana beating us belongs to the past,” Chukwu said. “There is no more tradition that says the Black Stars must now beat us. In fact, we have a very good team of young boys, who want to make names.
“They should be motivated to get the result that will secure them the World Cup ticket because it is the highest competition you can think of in the world. And that is why I am confident that Ghana cannot beat us.
“There was a time they were trouncing us. They once beat us 7-0 during the time of Kwame Nkrumah. But we took over when our football started growing. So, now Ghana is under us and we have to beat them to the World Cup ticket.”
Ghana have yet to release their squad list in a move which they hope to see destabilise the plans of Augustine Eguavoen and his technical team.
Chukwu also spoke on the matter, claiming that their mind games are just media charades. “Well, whether they release the team list or not is not our business. It is for the media anyway.
“But for us, we are prepared for anybody. I don't know why they are hiding their list, when they will eventually announce it. The delay in keeping the team list is not a strategy”.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
