Rohr considers inviting Nwankwo to camp as last set of World Cup friendlies approach

SUPER Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr is planning to invite Crotone striker Simeon  Nwankwo to camp ahead of the next set of pre-World Cup friendlies in response to the poor form of several regulars like Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho.

 

Iwobi, 21, is currently going through a spell of poor form, which has become  a major worry for the coach. Expected to become Nigeria's creative force upfront, Iwobi burst onto the scene in 2015  and enjoyed starting roles  in Arsenal’s first team until last season but of late has been the subject of heavy criticism because of his inconsistency and poor form.

 

So far this season, Iwobi has only scored two Premier League goals in 21 appearances and his  poor form has also sparked concerns that the former England junior international’s inclusion in Nigeria’s Russia 2018 World Cup squad may not benefit the Eagles much. With Kelechi Iheanacho also struggling at  Leicester City, Mr Rohr  fears  that  he will only have Odion Ighalo as his reliable striker in Russia.

 

Nwankwo, 25, has recently been by scoring eye-catching goals in Italy's Serie A. Over the weekend, the Crotone striker scored his fourth Serie A goal in a 2-1 victory over Udinese  at Stadio Friuli on Sunday  to help pull his team a bit clear of the relegation zone.

 

Between 2013 and 2016, Nwankwo was on the books of Portuguese club Gil Vicente but this season has some into his own. Coach Rohr, who has been monitoring the player’s performance in recent times, is said to be highly impressed with Nwankwo’s  style of play.

 

On May 25, the Eagles will then play the Democratic Republic of Congo in Port Harcourt in what will be their farewell game before leaving Nigeria. After that match the Eagles will then head to the UK to play England at Wembley on June 2 before heading off to Austria where they will face the Czech Republic.

 

Rohr may invite Nwankwo to participate in these games so he can assess him before picking his final squad for Russia. Also, the coach, may consider looking at a few creative playmakers like Abdul Ajagun who plies his trade with Belgian club Kortrijk or Arsenal loanee Kelechi Nwakali as this is an area in which his team remains weak.

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