Yusuf can be Super Eagles’ joker at AFCON 2023, says Garba
Yusuf was a last minute replacement for injured Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi but veteran coach Manu Garba believes the ‘unknown quantity’ of the Antwerp midfielder can bolster the Eagles’ chances at the AFCON 2023.
The Super Eagles are drawn in a tricky Group A along hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea that they will face on January 14 Olympic Stadium Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan.
Garba, a two-time winner of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, said the former FC Hearts rookie who last season won a double of both the Belgian Pro League and Belgian Cup, is a quality replacement for Ndidi, adding he could as well be a joker in coach Jose Peseiro-led Super Eagles angling for a fourth AFCON title for Nigeria.
“Yusuf is a good player and I believe he can gel with the other players because he’s a good ball handler and have endurance capacity,” Garba, the erstwhile captain of El Kanemi Warriors that won a successive national FA Cup, told NationSports.
He added: “Yusuf is just waiting on the wings to contribute in making the team strong since he’s a good ball handler and have endurance capacity to win ball from the opponents.
“Maybe he will a joker since he hasn’t play any competitive games for the super Eagles before.”
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