Former Super Eagles forward Victor Ikpeba has hailed Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr for preparing his team for life after Captain John Mikel Obi and retired Victor Moses.
Mikel who has not featured for Nigeria since after the team group stage elimination at the World Cup was once again omitted from Rohr’s 23-man squad for the November 17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against South Africa.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Ikpeba who’s widely known as ‘The Prince of Monaco’ said it’s good for the young players to see what they can do without the presence of their inspirational skipper.
“Mikel is not a must in Eagles.
I understand the coach. Mikel has been a fantastic player for the national team for more than a decade. And I understand that the skipper and the coach have a great relationship but we don’t know why he was not invited.
“But, this is great for the team and great for the young set of players that they can do without Mikel and without Victor Moses. The team has been brilliant without them and the coach has been apt with the decision,” he said.
It would be recalled that Mikel has been struggling with Injury but was in action and scored for his Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda on Sunday.
Rohr makes no changes to the squad that beat the Mediterranean Knights of Libya over the two legs fixtures earlier this month.
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