John Ogu recounts painful Super Eagles 2014 and 2018 World Cup experiences.
34 year old Maccabi Jaffa Midfielder John Ogu has recalled his pain from unexpectedly missing the Super Eagles team to the 2014 World Cup and zero appearance at the 2018 World Cup .
John Ogu was a regular in the Super Eagles set-up during the Qualifiers and so expected to be on the list to Brazil for the global showpiece but was dropped by then head coach Late Stephen Keshi.
Ogu told Pulse Sports he had expected to make the final squad but was pained to be axed for those that ” did not play one qualifying match.
His words ” The first World Cup I was supposed to go to , during a pre season game against Italy , I did well, ”
” Everyone was sure John Ogu was going to the World Cup. Even when Keshi said that it was not everyone that would make the team , I was sure I wasn’t among those he was referring to .
” And then the list came out, my name wasn’t there. And the painful part was that unlike me , some of the names on the list did not play one qualifying match. And that’s how I missed out on that World Cup (Brazil 2014) . ”
Four years later, John Ogu made the Super Eagles squad to the World Cup in Russia but this time the Head Coach Genot Rohr overlooked him throughout Nigeria’s participation at the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup .
On the 2018 World Cup , Ogu said ” And then another one was the last World Cup , the dream came true (going to the world cup) , and the man (Genot Rohr) didn’t even give me one minute.
” Even when I needed to be on the pitch when the Nigerians needed me against Argentina , he did not bring me in. That was painful too. ” He concluded.
Ogu last featured for the Super of Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. That too ended on a painful note for John Ogu and the Super Eagles .
Manchester City star Riyad Marhez fired a stoppage time Free kick past Goalkeeper Akpeyi in the Semi Final . Ogu described the circumstances around the Semi Final loss as tough despite being an unused substitute on the night . The Super Eagles finished the tournament with a bronze medal in Ogu’s last international participation till date.
