Girondins-Bordeaux of France winger, Samuel Kalu may end up keeping his place in the Super Eagles’ starting line-up, due to a lot of technical values in his game.
Footballlive.ng gathered that Kalu is rated high in the eyes of Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr, who has now hinted that the former KAA Gent of Belgium lad could remain in the first 11, even if Victor Moses decides to step out of retirement.
Kalu, who already has a goals and two assists from five outings with the Eagles, has already edged aside pressure from former Gent pal, Moses Simon, who has failed to regain his place in Nigeria’s starting line up.
Kalu has now settled down firmly at Bordeaux and was in the French Ligue 1 team of the week mid-January, which shows he is also doing well at club level, just as Rohr desires.
With Kalu’s leaps in bounds over such a short while hogging headlines at home and abroad, Rohr says it is basically because the rising star has so much in versatile abilities, tactical depth and technical discipline.
With those qualities apparently rare among many Nigerian players, Rohr sees Kalu as a prized asset, with a strong hint that the winger would be a key figure in squad to Egypt 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
While recounting how Kalu even did well when he was lined out as a wing-back against South Africa in a crucial AFCON 2019 qualifier away, Rohr is now harping on the edge the youngster star has in being able to play in more than one key position he is assigned to.
Rohr restated: ”Samuel Kalu is now in my team, a player who can make the difference, he can play in different positions also.
”I watched him several times in Bordeaux and I see his development, he is very good, he had good adaptation in this new team.
”He can play as a winger in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. He can play 3-5-2 – like we did in Johannesburg – and he can play also like a full-back offensively.”
