Cape Argus E-dition

Aribo soars with Super Eagles at Afcon

HAVING benefited from playing under Steven Gerrard at Rangers, Joe Aribo is starring for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon as the Super Eagles target winning a fourth continental crown.

Aribo started Nigeria’s first two group games, helping them to wins against Egypt and Sudan that sealed their place in the last 16 with a match to spare.

The midfielder was rested for their final 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau as interim Super Eagles boss Augustine Eguavoen sought to keep Aribo fresh for today’s last-16 tie against Tunisia.

“When I called him up for the first time, he scored a goal as soon as he came into the side,” recalls Gernot Rohr, the German coach who gave Aribo his international debut but was sacked last month.

Aribo, who was born in London, made his bow for Nigeria in September 2019, not long after joining Rangers from Charlton Athletic.

“It was a friendly match in Ukraine after the last Africa Cup of Nations when we were looking at new players,” Rohr, who took Nigeria to third place in 2019 in Egypt, tells AFP.

“He played really well in that first match and remained in the starting line-up from then on as long as he was fit, because he has had some injury problems and had Covid.”

The 68-year-old Rohr enjoys speaking about the players he worked with while in charge of Nigeria, and there is no bitterness about the manner of his departure just before this Cup of Nations.

“No, these are my boys,” he laughs, before describing the 25-yearold Aribo as “adorable, very polite. He listens, he is quite reserved and doesn’t talk a lot, but he can do it, if he has to”.

BOX TO BOX

Aribo laid on Kelechi Iheanacho’s winner against Egypt in Garoua.

Eguavoen’s decision to rest Aribo as well as defender Ola Aina against Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday was to protect both players from the threat of a booking that would have ruled them out of the last 16.

Rohr, who has also managed Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso, describes Aribo as “on form at the right time. 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”.

Aribo scored seven goals in the Rangers team that won the Scottish Premiership last season and has already netted six times in this campaign.

Usually deployed in a more attacking role at Ibrox, Aribo has been playing in the centre of midfield for his country alongside Wilfred Ndidi.

“He is a box-to-box player who gets forward from deep. He likes to beat his man and go for goal,” adds Rohr.

The former Nigeria coach identified Aribo while scouting in Britain.

One-time Chelsea defender Aina played for England at age-group levels.

SPORT

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2022-01-23T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-23T08:00:00.0000000Z

http://capeargus.pressreader.com/article/281788517438881

African News Agency