Nigeria’s 2-1 victory over Iran on Friday came along with many positives for Eric Chelle and his Super Eagles contingent including impressive senior international debut outings for central defensive duo Emmanuel Fernandez and Chibuike Nwaiwu, Footynaija.com reports.
Fernandez, who earned his first ever invitation to the Nigeria national team off the back of consistently impressive performances for his club side Rangers, replaced experienced compatriot Semi Ajayi at the start of the second half and instantly looked at home in the Super Eagles backline alongside Igoh Ogbu.
When Ogbu suffered an injury setback and had to go off, head coach Chelle introduced Nwaiwu, whose call-up to camp came as a result of reliable Fulham defender Calvin Bassey pulling out of the squad due to a fitness setback.
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While the Trabzonspor defender initially needed some time to adjust to the pace of the game, it didn’t take him long to get up to speed and help the Super Eagles secure their win at the Mardan Stadyumu in Antalya.
The performance of both players has drawn widespread praise across the Nigerian footballing circles with one of such plaudits coming from former Strasbourg forward Simon Zenke. Speaking to Footy-Africa in a recent interview, Zenke singled out the two center-backs for praise, highlighting how their inclusion significantly strengthens Chelle’s options in defense.
“I am happy with what I saw in the game against Iran, and the win was very good. I was particularly impressed with the two players – Fernandez and Nwaiwu – who came on as substitutes.
“The reality now is that Nigeria has a variety of options in central defence, and that is a very positive development. The coach now has a real selection dilemma in that area. I have always believed that the more quality players you have, the better. Nigeria now boasts a strong pool of centre-backs to choose from at any time.”
From the look of things, both debutants played their way into the hearts of many Nigerians on Friday. Ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Jordan, it’ll be interesting to see whether either player did enough to earn a starting shirt when the Super Eagles file out for their second game in Antalya.
