Josh Maja Hoping to Become a Super Eagles Star

Super Eagle’s boss Gernot Rohr has been busy preparing his side ahead of the first International break of the campaign, and Bordeaux striker Josh Maja could be a surprise inclusion in the squad. Nigeria will travel to face Ukraine on September 10th, with the German-born coach hoping that his side can bounce back from their disappointing semi-final loss to Algeria at the 2019 African Cup of Nations. Although he’s already called up 23 players, Rohr has not ruled out the possibility of including the London-born striker and is seriously considering offering him some valuable minutes at the Dnipro Arena.

Even if Maja doesn’t make the cut on this occasion, it surely won’t be long before the former Sunderland forward makes his International bow. The striker was born in London to Nigerian parents, and although he is yet to officially pledge his allegiance either way, Rohr will be hoping to persuade the 21-year old to feature for the Super Eagles. He was previously invited to represent Nigeria in 2017, although he wasn’t able to get any minutes under his belt. The AFCON bronze-medallists are reasonably well-stocked in the final third, but Maja will offer something different and is already off the mark for Bordeaux this season.

Maja will face plenty of competition if he commits to the Super Eagles, with Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon and in-form Lille striker Victor Omishen all included in the 23-man squad. Maja’s Bordeaux teammate Samuel Kalu has also received a call-up despite having endured a barren spell in front of goal. Joe Aribo has impressed since making the switch to Rangers, and he has also been rewarded with his first International call-up.

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The squad also includes a couple of Premier League stars, with Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi both likely to feature against Ukraine. The latter is yet to score since leaving Arsenal but has looked extremely lively and will be hoping to help Everton finish above his former employers this campaign. The Toffees are 7/2 in the latest Premier League betting markets to break into the top six this season, and Iwobi could play a significant role. Despite not featuring in the African Cup of Nations, Kelechi Iheanacho has also been given another chance to stake a claim despite rarely featuring for Leicester City.

Gernot Rohr was unable to call upon recently retired duo Jon Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo, whilst John Ogu has been left out of the squad completely.

Maja didn’t feature for England U20s, and therefore is eligible for selection. Rohr has already spoken to the striker and suggested that it would be relatively straightforward process to sort out the paperwork and visa requirements. He admitted it is “not impossible” that he will feature against Ukraine, although he is more likely to get his chance during the October and November International breaks.

Maja’s positional play is excellent, and he is able to get himself into goalscoring positions throughout the 90 minutes. He is rarely able to hold up the ball but does have a knack of finding space and getting a shot off. He will create his own opportunities, and although his critics have previously described him as a ‘selfish’ player, he is a constant threat and would a welcome addition to the Super Eagles squad.

Maja is unlikely to be one of the first names on the Nigerian team-sheet; however, he could become an extremely useful squad player in the future and will offer Gernot Rohr’s side something a little different in the final third. He’s hoping to make a name for himself on the International stage, but there’s already plenty of competition in the squad. He will have to work hard to establish himself over the coming months; however, he has all the attributes to succeed internationally.