Ifeanyi Matthew Will Remind You Of Sunday Oliseh's Qualities- Manu Garba

Flying Eagles head coach, Manu Garba has thrown his weight behind El Kanemi Warriors midfielder, Ifeanyi Matthew to succeed in the Super Eagles squad.

The 2015 AYC champion has been handed a spot in 23-man home-based Eagles invited by coach Sunday Oliseh ahead of next month’s AFCON qualifier in Tanzania.

Garba said the U-20 player may be the answer to the creativity the national team lacked all the while in the midfield.

“The Eagles handlers were spot-on in inviting Ifeanyi Matthew because he is a very creative player whose wide-range vision and long balls will remind you of Sunday Oliseh in his playing days,” he said.

“I was even a bit surprised that the U23s have not considered the player even though they very much know what he is capable of.

“God’s willing he will prove himself in the Super Eagles now.”

Manu added: “The good thing too is that he will now work with a coach (Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf) who knows him even before he played for the Golden Eaglets.

“It was even Salisu who gave him his breakthrough in the premier league with El Kanemi and so he will know how best to use the boy.”

Matthew featured at the 2013 African U17 Championship in Morocco and also played at the 2015 African Youth Championship in Senegal, which Nigeria won with the versatile midfielder scoring three goals and providing several assists to Taiwo Awoniyi.

A serious foot injury he suffered in an opening game against Brazil ended his campaign at the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand. AfricanFootball