FORMER Nigeria international, Peter Rufai has called on
the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to intensify efforts at ensuring that
Arsenal striker Alex Iwobi is available to play for the country’s U-23 team at
the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Having chosen to play for Nigeria rather than the English
national team, Iwobi qualifies to represent the Dream Team at the Olympics this
year but his Premier League club is looking to block him from taking part in
the tournament in Brazil.
There are ongoing negotiations between the Gunners and
the Nigeria football organizing body and the former Super Eagles goalkeeper
expected a positive outcome in favour of the Olympic bound team.
In a chat with sportsbiz247.blogspot.com at the 2016
GoalFest Children's Day event in Lagos, ‘Dodo Mayana’ as fondly called, said
the inclusion of the 20 year old striker will make the coach Samson Siasia side
stronger.
“Anything could still happen as far as Iwobi’s release by
Arsenal is concerned. We might suddenly see him appear, nobody knows yet. Let's
wait and see but I know the NFF do not just want to accept that. I believe they
will still try to negotiate, try to talk over this issue and see what they can
do to get him released and be part of the team.
“Definitely he will be a good addition to the team because
any team going into a competition of this magnitude with more quality player
will be very happy. The technical crew, his colleagues, the fans will be happy
to have him. With his presence the team
will be stronger in having him too,” Rufai told sportsbiz247.blogspot.com.
Iwobi enjoyed a positive breakthrough into the North
London club’s first team this past season, and performed well in attack for the
Gunners, who finished the season in second place.
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