It is rare that we won’t have some oyinbos in the Super Eagles at any point in time. Born, bred and or raised abroad. They could have played for other nations but they chose Nigeria. New Super Eagle’s coach, Gernot Rohr seems to have a penchant for them, with the likes of Tyronne Ebuehi and Noah Joel Bazee the latest to be invited, for the friendlies against Senegal and Burkina Faso. A good number of the mulattos have been good for the Super Eagles in the past and we hope Ebuehi and Bazee are cut from the same cloth.
Osaze Odemwingie
Probably the best mulatto to play for the Super Eagles in recent memory. Born to a Nigerian father and Russian mother in Uzbekistan, Osaze chose to represent Nigeria. Odemwingie made his debut in 2002 went on to play 63 times, scoring 10 goals. He was a menace to opposing defenders, difficult to see how Nigeria could have made it to the 2010 World Cup without his contributions. He scored the goal that helped Nigeria win a match at the World Cup for the first time since 1998 in the 1-0 win against Bosnia in 2014. Despite being at loggerheads with various Super Eagles handlers at various points in time, his dedication and passion remained unquestionable.
Abbey George
Call him Mr. Dependable, despite playing in the lower divisions in England for most of his career, he was a mainstay in the Super Eagles for some years. Born to a Welsh mother and Nigerian father, Abbey made the right-back spot his own between 2003 and 2004. He was part of the team that finished third at the 2004 Nations Cup. Abbey was a model of discipline and dedication during his time with the Super Eagles. He played 18 times for the Super Eagles.
William Troost-Ekong
The jury is still out on William Troost-Ekong but he has endeared himself to the hearts of fans of the Super Eagles so far. He was particularly impressive for the U-23 team as they won bronze at the 2016 Olympics. Born to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father, Troost-Ekong is developing an impressive partnership with his oyinbo brother – Leon Balogun at the heart of the Eagles defence. Since making his debut in 2015, he has become a regular in the team, making 10 appearances so far. He had previously played for the Netherlands youth teams.
Carl Ikeme
Carl has so far filled the big shoes of Vincent Enyeama with aplomb. He has become the first choice goalie since Enyeama retired. He made his debut in 2015 and has played 10 times since then, barely having any bad game between the sticks for the Super Eagles. Thanks to Ikeme’s commanding performances, the post-Enyeama era has been much easier than envisaged.
Written by Babatomiwa Ojo, follow him on twitter @10Qmedia
The post Osaze Odemwingie and the other mulattos Tyronne Ebuehi and Noah Bazee should emulate appeared first on Soccer Nation.
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