Glasgow Rangers of Scotland left-back, Calvin Ughelumba has received a first ever invitation to the Super Eagles, but it comes at the expense of FC Porto of Portugal’s Zaidu Sanusi, megasportsarena.com reports.
With Sanusi having lost form at both national team club levels in recent time, with his last outing being a nightmarish performance versus Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, Ugelumba’s invitation appears timely.
Born in Aosta, Italy, the 21-year-old defender initially rose through the youth ranks at Leicester City before joining The Gers in 2020 and, in his maiden season at the Ibrox Stadium, he made eight league appearances, while also featuring in the Scottish Cup and League Cup respectively.
To cap a notable start to life in Scotland, Bassey featured in four UEFA Europa League matches, though Rangers crashed out in the Round of 16, and he so far boasts of six appearances across all competitions this season.
Bassey’s overall rating in FIFA 22 is 65, with a potential of 70, a standard silver card, two-star skill moves rating, he prefers to shoot with his left foot and his work rate is medium.
His best stat is strength, which is 75, 62 in dribbling, interception and a shot power of 45 and, although he does not possess lightning speed, he occasionally assists the attack.
He is a strong defender, who is very good when it comes to aerial balls, blessed with a robust look, aggressive on a good shift and can cause restless moments for strikers.
Before his invitation to the Eagles on Thursday, he was also eligible to represent England and Italy at international level, but is not set to switch national team allegiance officially.
It will now be left to Ughelumba, who is on the fringes of first team duties at The Gers, to prove his mettle in train and likely shade ahead of Jamilu Collins for next week’s matches against Central African Republic.
Also invited by Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr for the double-heard World Cup qualifiers, first in Lagos and then away, are team captain Ahmed Musa, deputy captain William Troost-Ekong and 21 others for the encounters in Lagos and Douala.
The Day 3 encounter will hold at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Thursday, 7th October with the Day 4 match on Sunday, 10th October in Douala, Cameroon, where Central African Republic national teams currently play their home matches.
With the maximum six points from their first two matches, against Liberia in Lagos and Cape Verde in Mindelo, the Eagles countenance another six points against CAR and Rohr has largely kept faith with the stars that delivered in September.
Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi return, just as defenders in the list include William Troost-Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, Leon Balogun, Jamilu Collins, Ola Aina, Kenneth Omeruo and Kevin Akpoguma, who missed the last games due to illness.
With enforcers Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo out injured, the lot falls on Frank Onyeka and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo to replicate their firm handling of things in the middle, where Rohr has also listed the England-based duo of Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Victory in both games will all but guarantee the Super Eagles’ passage to the all-important knockout rounds scheduled for March 2022, which will produce Africa’s five flag bearers in Qatar.
THE FULL LIST – Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Calvin Ughelumba (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany).
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Innocent Bonke (Malmo FF, Sweden); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England).
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Kalu (FC Bordeaux, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia).
