Super Eagles Coach Rohr Confirms One Player Who Will Definitely Play Against Croatia

Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr has confirmed that Ahmed Musa will get playing time in Saturday evening's World Cup opener against Croatia, but he is not sure if the Leicester City striker would be named in the starting lineup.

Apart from Musa, who is a popular figure in Russia having had two different spells with CSKA Moscow, the other player with close links to Russia is Saint Petersburg-born Amkar Perm left-back Brian Idowu.

''No, you don't have a weak championship in Russia, you saw some clubs doing very well, they eliminated Olympique Lyonnais, they made good results in European competitions,'' Rohr said at Friday evening's press conference.

''And the advantage is that they had a good rest in winter time and they will be very fit now because other players don't rest winter time and it can be difficult for them to be fit now.''

Rohr continued : ''It is an advantage for Brian Idowu to play in his own country because he knows even the language and the stadiums. I think it can be a good thing for him and for us also.

''Ahmed Musa now is very fit, we saw it in the training sessions. I don't know if he will start the game but If he is not starting the game he will finish the game. We count on his speed and his motivation to be a very dangerous forward.''

Musa started only one of the six Super Eagles pre-World Cup friendlies, the 2-0 loss to Serbia on March 27.

Igho Kingsley