FF Malmo of Sweden midfielder, Innocent Bonke is set to get his first cap with Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday, as he has been included in the squad to battle Cape Verde in a World Cup qualifier.
Megasportsarena.com reports that the absence of nine key players, including three England-based midfielders has given Bonke space to get his national team bow, which the defensive midfielder will aim to take ample opportunity off.
It is a huge leap for the youngster, who was born on January 20, 1996 and joined Malmo on August 2, 2017 for a fee of €800, 000 but expired this summer, as the product of Bujoc FC, whose first club abroad was Lillestrøm of Norway, which he joined in 2014, seeks his breakthrough.
The 26-year-old Bonke, who has featured 15 times with the Swedish champions this season, is currently hanging on the balance over a likely transfer, after helping Malmo qualify for the group stage of the 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League.
The Eagles will be without the midfield trio of Wilfred Onyinyen Ndidi from Leicester City, Oghenekaro Etebo from Watford and Frank Onyeka from Brentford as well as Glasgow Rangers of Scotland dazzler, Joe Aribo.
Dramatically, Ndidi and Aribo started the Eagles’ last match against Liberia on Friday, while Etebo played as a substitute in the 2-0 win at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, but they are all absent for Tuesday’s second game of the race to Qatar 2022 due to restrictions imposed by UK’s government on trips to Cape Verde due to fears over COVID-19.
That has paved way for Bonke to get a place in the Nigerian squad to tango The Blue Sharks and a strong hint has emerged that the youngster, who has excelled with Malmo this season in Sweden’s top-flight league, will even get a starting shirt on Tuesday.
It was gathered further that Bonke’s debut will be one of several changes Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr will have to make to tinker his side into match-winning shape on Tuesday, with six of the players who started against Liberia not available for selection.
Among the missing lot will also be two-goal hero, Kelechi Iheanacho, captain of the day William Troost-Ekong, creative winger Alex Iwobi and right-back, Ola Aina.
A report by completesports.com added: “Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr is expected to make a number of changes in his starting line-up for Tuesday’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde.
“The departure of UK-based players who returned to base following the unchanged stance of UK authorities concerning protocols and guidelines that must be observed by anyone returning to the country after visiting a country on their COVID-19 red label, of which Cape Verde is one means Rohr will have to replace some of his regulars against the Blue Sharks.
“The absence of Olaoluwa Aina, William Ekong, and Leon Balogun probably means that Italy-based Tyronne Ebuehi, Chidozie Awaziem of FC Boavista in Portugal, and Spain-based Kenneth Omeruo will start the game.
“Rohr is also short of options in midfield with regular starters; Wilfred Ndidi, Joe Aribo, Oghenekaro Etebo, and Alex Iwobi not available for selection.
“Malmo of Sweden midfielder Innocent Bonke is expected to anchor the midfield. Rohr may opt to deploy the versatile Abdullahi Shehu to the midfield as he has done a couple of times.”
A team official also told SCORENigeria: “Bonke could even have started against Liberia. He was the big bully in midfield in the Eagles training.
“The coach was very impressed, but Rohr did not want to break the partnership of Ndidi and Aribo or Etebo”
