By Akeem Lawal
NIGERIA international, Junior Lokosa has revealed that he
was not given enough opportunity to prove himself during his call up to the
Super Eagles ahead of the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, Sportsbiz247.blogspot.com
reports.
The Esperance de Tunis striker topped the Nigeria
Professional Football League goal scoring charts back in the 2018/2019 season,
scoring 25 goals in 21 matches and his good form was rewarded by Super Eagles
boss Gernot Rohr who included him in his 30-man pre-World Cup squad.
Lokosa, who many Nigerians felt should have been included
in the Russia 2018 squad, but was a last minute dropout from the final list of
23, said in a chat with Sports Zone that he was also played out of position in
his only game with the team, a pre-world cup warm-up game against Democratic
Republic of Congo.
“First of all, I was happy when I had the call-up. I was
there and had some training session with the team and I had a friendly game
with the team. Despite the fact that I didn’t play in my normal position, then
it was still okay for me. When I heard that I will not be going (to the World
Cup), I felt bad because I could remember when they played the 2013 Nations Cup
in South Africa, we had about five home based players in the team. So I now
felt why my own turn is different or maybe because I don’t have European
experience.I felt bad but I still encouraged myself that better days are ahead.
I didn’t go but I believe everything will work out well for me.
“When I was in camp, I didn’t really feel that I was
better than other strikers, I tried to respect and compose myself because most
of them play in Europe. For me, it seems most of them knew they were going to
the World Cup. I see it as if I was not among, that I was just called up just
to be part of the team. That was how I felt because it took a lot of argument
before the initial 30-man list came out and my name was there.
Asked if he was given the reason why he was left out of
the final list, the former Kano Pillars striker said, “I didn’t know maybe they
had meeting for the coaching crew, but they didn’t tell me anything. I had the
feeling that I will not be going to the World Cup. When we want to go and see
his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, they said everybody should
bring out their luggage and everybody came out with their luggage. When I was
about to put my own luggage in the car, they told me I was not going. So I had
to remove my bag. They didn’t tell me anything,” he said.
Photos: dailyadvent.com
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