The Nigeria Football Federation should focus on persuading Liverpool’s rising star Jordon Ibe to commit his international future to Nigeria, says former Super Eagles midfielder Ene Okon.
Senegal ’92 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medallist Okon believes Ibe will bring out the best in the likes of Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike if the 19-year-old midfielder is encouraged to switch his international allegiance and play for Nigeria. He says the country cannot afford to lose any more talented players to Europe after the likes of Bayern Munich defender David Alaba and Schalke 04 midfielder Sidney Sam opted to represent Austria and Germany respectively.
Ibe, who was born in London to Nigerian parents, has represented England at Under 18 and Under 19 levels. However, the teenager is still eligible to play for Nigeria at the senior level.
Out-of-contract Eagles manager Stephen Keshi said in 2013 Ibe was one of the players with Nigerian roots based abroad whose performances he was monitoring with a view to persuading them to play for their fathers’ country.
Ibe, who was recalled by Liverpool from a loan spell at Championship club Derby County last month, seized his chance to shine on the big stage – in his second Premier League start in the Reds’ 3-2 defeat of Tottenham at Anfield on Tuesday.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Steven Gerrard hailed the player after the performance, tipping him for success at the Premier League club.
“He’s a big talent, he’s got great technical quality and it was a brilliant performance by him. He was unfortunate not to have scored with his run and strike,” Talksport quoted Rodgers as saying during the week.
“He has wonderful temperament and technique and is tactically very good for a kid coming into that system. I am very pleased for him.”
Gerrard said, “(Ibe had) a sensational performance and was unlucky not to get the winner. Credit to him, he’s got a big future and he’s going to be a terrific player.”
Former BCC Lions star Okon, who echoed Rodgers and Gerrard’s sentiments, said the player should be invited by Nigeria.
“For the Super Eagles to become one of the continent’s top performers, they must strive to win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations,” the retired former Calabar Rovers player old our correspondent on the telephone during the week.
“We need new players and I would suggest we make attempts to convince players with Nigerian roots in Europe to play for the Super Eagles.
“There are many good players with Nigerian blood in Europe. Ibe is one of them. He’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I think we should invite him to play for Nigeria. We need a player of his calibre to bring out the best in players such as Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike.
“We have lost many good players to other countries and we can’t afford to lose Ibe to England.”
Okon, who lamented Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Equatorial Guinea finals, said Nigeria have a lot to learn from Ivory Coast, who won the tournament in Bata on Sunday.
He said, “Ivory Coast won the tournament because they prepared very well for it. Their players took every match seriously unlike our players.
“We took things for granted. The administrators were not serious about our preparation for the qualifiers.
“We would have won the trophy if we had qualified for the tournament. We must learn from our mistakes. We must plan for the 2017 edition. It will be shameful for us to miss out on a place in the next tournament.”
Okon is backing his former Eagles’ teammate Keshi to remain as Nigeria coach, urging the NFF to renew the ex-Togo manager’s contract.
“Keshi is not the problem of our football,” the ex-Julius Berger player said.
“Our problem is poor planning. We should address the problems of our football to reclaim our lost glory.
“We have good players across the country but nobody is monitoring them. Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Guinea came to the Africa Cup of Nations with young players, because they focus on the performances of their players.”
He added, “I disagree with those saying our players are old, hence we failed to qualify for the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
“Mikel, (Ogenyi) Onazi and Emenike still have age on their side. They are good players. We need younger players to help them.”
Senegal ’92 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medallist Okon believes Ibe will bring out the best in the likes of Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike if the 19-year-old midfielder is encouraged to switch his international allegiance and play for Nigeria. He says the country cannot afford to lose any more talented players to Europe after the likes of Bayern Munich defender David Alaba and Schalke 04 midfielder Sidney Sam opted to represent Austria and Germany respectively.
Ibe, who was born in London to Nigerian parents, has represented England at Under 18 and Under 19 levels. However, the teenager is still eligible to play for Nigeria at the senior level.
Out-of-contract Eagles manager Stephen Keshi said in 2013 Ibe was one of the players with Nigerian roots based abroad whose performances he was monitoring with a view to persuading them to play for their fathers’ country.
Ibe, who was recalled by Liverpool from a loan spell at Championship club Derby County last month, seized his chance to shine on the big stage – in his second Premier League start in the Reds’ 3-2 defeat of Tottenham at Anfield on Tuesday.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Steven Gerrard hailed the player after the performance, tipping him for success at the Premier League club.
“He’s a big talent, he’s got great technical quality and it was a brilliant performance by him. He was unfortunate not to have scored with his run and strike,” Talksport quoted Rodgers as saying during the week.
“He has wonderful temperament and technique and is tactically very good for a kid coming into that system. I am very pleased for him.”
Gerrard said, “(Ibe had) a sensational performance and was unlucky not to get the winner. Credit to him, he’s got a big future and he’s going to be a terrific player.”
Former BCC Lions star Okon, who echoed Rodgers and Gerrard’s sentiments, said the player should be invited by Nigeria.
“For the Super Eagles to become one of the continent’s top performers, they must strive to win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations,” the retired former Calabar Rovers player old our correspondent on the telephone during the week.
“We need new players and I would suggest we make attempts to convince players with Nigerian roots in Europe to play for the Super Eagles.
“There are many good players with Nigerian blood in Europe. Ibe is one of them. He’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I think we should invite him to play for Nigeria. We need a player of his calibre to bring out the best in players such as Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike.
“We have lost many good players to other countries and we can’t afford to lose Ibe to England.”
Okon, who lamented Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Equatorial Guinea finals, said Nigeria have a lot to learn from Ivory Coast, who won the tournament in Bata on Sunday.
He said, “Ivory Coast won the tournament because they prepared very well for it. Their players took every match seriously unlike our players.
“We took things for granted. The administrators were not serious about our preparation for the qualifiers.
“We would have won the trophy if we had qualified for the tournament. We must learn from our mistakes. We must plan for the 2017 edition. It will be shameful for us to miss out on a place in the next tournament.”
Okon is backing his former Eagles’ teammate Keshi to remain as Nigeria coach, urging the NFF to renew the ex-Togo manager’s contract.
“Keshi is not the problem of our football,” the ex-Julius Berger player said.
“Our problem is poor planning. We should address the problems of our football to reclaim our lost glory.
“We have good players across the country but nobody is monitoring them. Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Guinea came to the Africa Cup of Nations with young players, because they focus on the performances of their players.”
He added, “I disagree with those saying our players are old, hence we failed to qualify for the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
“Mikel, (Ogenyi) Onazi and Emenike still have age on their side. They are good players. We need younger players to help them.”
BY FESTUS ABU
