But for the spate of injuries in the Super Eagles fold ahead of the international friendly between Nigeria and Cameroon in Austria, Valentine Ozornwafor would not have been invited for the game talkless of playing. At the end of a lacklustre performance by the three times African Champions, the Turkish-based player was singled out for praise by Super Eagles Manager Gernot Rohr. The big question is whether Ozornwafor has won the heart of of the Franco-German tactician
With just one appearance for Turkish side Galatasaray in the just ended season, soccer loving Nigerians disapproved of the invitation of Valentine Ozornwafor for the Nigeria versus Cameroon friendly in Austria by Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr. But characteristic of the Franco-German, he stood his ground and went on to parade the 21-year-old.
Ozornwafor played in the heart of the defense and he justified his inclusion in starting line up for the Super Eagles.
Speaking to the media after the game, Rohr singled out the player for praises for a job well done.
“I’m very happy for Valentine; a lot of people did not understand why he was with us, he showed today the reason why he can play with us. He did very well with his left foot in central defence,” Rohr said in the post match conference.
Football fans were against Ozornwafor‘s invitation to the team in the first place, due to his lack of first team football for his club Galatasaray of Turkey.
The 21-year-old has now made more appearances- two and played more minutes (91) for the Super Eagles than he did for Galatasaray-one appearance and eight minutes this season.
Ozornwafor was called up to the Super Eagles following a spate of withdrawals but his call-up was met with a slew of criticism. Critics pointed to the defender’s lack of minutes in the 2020/2021 season with just eight minutes for Galatasaray.
The 22-year-old made his Super Eagles debut in the first friendly game against Cameroon on June 4, coming on for William Troost-Ekong late in the game.
He made his first start for Nigeria in the second game against Cameroon and impressed at the back, helping the Super Eagles to a clean sheet.
“We had a problem in the defense, so for the first time we played Valentine,” Rohr told Super Eagles media.
“He did very well and we finished the match with Simon who is a winger playing left-back and we didn’t concede a goal.
“I’m very happy for Valentine because a lot of people did not understand why he was with us.”
“He showed today the reason why he can play with us, he did very well in central defense.”
Further reacting to the game, Rohr reiterated that result was not the most important thing for the Super Eagles from the two friendly matches against Cameroon.
“Like I said before, the result is not the most important, what is important is to test some players and see new faces, which was the case again today,” he said.
“We didn’t want to concede a goal we wanted to score but we could not and when we are missing players like Victor Osimhen, Joe Aribo, Samuel Chukwueze, Samuel Kalu, Henry Onyekuru, it’s not easy.
“But the players did well, we had a lot of chances in this two games we couldn’t score but the match today was interesting.
“It was the last match of the season for a lot of the players, they came in the middle of the holidays to work hard for 10 days with us and the fruits of the work will come and I think we will be ready in September for the World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde.“
The Super Eagles will kick off their 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September with games against Liberia and Cape Verde and Ozornwafor will be hoping to retain his place in the Super Eagles for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Ozornwafor returned to Galatasary from Spanish side Almeria after a loan spell in the summer of 2020.
He had revealed that his loan spell with Almeria had run its course, with a return to the Turkish giants being the loan deal protocol.
“Concerning the speculation, Galatasaray is my club, my parent team, for now, the loan is over I just have no option than to return to my parent team, there are no argument about that, and no two ways about that I just gonna return back to my parent team that’s all,” the defender had told Brila.
