The Top Four Super Eagles Players Fighting For Starting Berths Ahead Of Zimbabwe Friendly

Nigeria, on Saturday, June 8 will tackle the Warriors of Zimbabwe in an AFCON pre-tournament friendly which is meant to help the players get to the grips with the African game after a long and tedious season with their clubs.

Some of the invited Super Eagles are returning to the team after some period of absence and will be looking to gain back the manager's trust while some had a not-so-stellar club football campaign.

It is important to note that these friendlies leading up to the competition will be instructive on who makes the final cut, but which four players must have to impress in trainings to convince Gernot Rohr of their readiness ahead of this game?

Leon Balogun: Balogun will have a lot of competition this time around particularly with the impressive season Kenneth Omeruo had in the just concluded season.

Though he had long been the first-choice centre-back alongside William Troost-Ekong in the team, fitness problems and the fact he had accrued very few minutes with Brighton last term could contrive to prove his undoing.

How he performs in the Super Eagles friendlies and training sessions leading up to the tournament proper will come in handy.

Samuel Kalu: Coming off the back of a serious hamstring injury which limited his playing time with Bordeaux last season, the young winger might take some time before he will be able to break into the Super Eagles first team yet and Rohr has tried to closely access him.

His rival wingers, the likes of Ahmed Musa, Henry Onyekuru and Moses Simon, are all currently above him in the pecking order unless he comes up with something spectacular in training.

Semi Ajayi: Ajayi had quite a brilliant individual season with Rotherham United last time but then, he has not managed to tie down a regular spot in the team such that his relevance has even been called into question at a point.

He is, no doubt, talented but the effectiveness of his fellow established defenders continues to keep him out.

With Abdullahi Shehu yet to hit camp, Rohr might have to hand the versatile defender a starting role if he had impressed in the training sessions.

Kelechi Iheanacho: Having found playing time hard to come by with Leicester City last campaign, Iheanacho will definitely work his socks off for a spot in the first team set-up.

The form of his fellow attackers Odion Ighalo, Paul Onuachu and Victor Osimhen has done his course little good, and bearing in mind that the manager must still have to axe a striker from the list just before they kickstart the tournament, the U-17 World Cup winner surely must have to bring something special to his game if he will be retained on merit.

Emmanuel Chinaza