Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo has had praise lavished upon him from his former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr after his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations competition.
Aribo has impressed so far as Nigeria strolled through the group stages, finishing top with maximum points, and setting up a tie against Tunisia in the last 16.
The Super Eagles have a real chance of winning their fourth continental tournament and their former coach has had some words to say about Aribo.
“When I called him up for the first time, he scored a goal as soon as he came into the side,” said Rohr [AFP].
“He is a player who tends to stay in the shadows, but he is technically excellent and can make the difference with his left foot.”
“He is a box-to-box player who gets forward from deep. He likes to beat his man and go for goal,”
High praise for the 25-year-old from his old coach. Rohr spoke to the player and his father and convinced Aribo to represent Nigeria as opposed to England, his country of birth.
Joe Aribo will be key for Nigeria’s AFCON hopes
With Ghana and Algeria already knocked out, the draw looks rather kind for Nigeria. The tie against Tunisia in the last 16 could prove to be tricky, but the North Africans aren’t quite the force they once were.
The only downside in this is Aribo will most certainly miss the Old Firm clash on February 2, which is a major blow for Rangers’ hopes.
If he goes on to win the Cup of Nations, it will all be worth it.