Former Nigeria international Juwon Oshaniwa has praised the talent of Emmanuel Fernandez following the Rangers defender’s Super Eagles debut last Friday.
London-born defender Fernandez earned his maiden call-up to the Nigerian national team with his inclusion in Eric Chelle’s 23-man squad for the friendly games against Iran and Jordan in March.
The 24-year-old was then handed his debut in the 2-1 win over the former, coming on in the second half and delivering a solid performance in the backline.
The Rangers defender then made his first start for the Super Eagles against Jordan, marking the occasion with his first senior goal for the country to cap off an excellent week.
Read Also:
Nigeria went on to record a 2-2 draw against the Jordanians on Tuesday, with Alex Iwobi sent off in the closing stages of the clash.
Fernandez will now turn his attention to club football, where he will be focused on helping Rangers clinch the Scottish league title this season, although they currently sit second on the standings, three points behind leaders Hearts.
What Oshaniwa said about Emmanuel Fernandez’s debut for Super Eagles
Juwon Oshaniwa, who was part of the 2013 African Cup of Nations winning squad for Nigeria and also represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, was full of praise for the impressive showings of Fernandez in both of the Super Eagles’ matches last month.
“It’s clear Emmanuel Fernandez will be a valuable addition to the national team”, Oshaniwa said.
“His strong performance didn’t surprise me because I know the Scottish league is very competitive. And playing in such an environment helped shape Fernandez into a player capable of handling international football.
“Being exposed to a physically demanding and tactically disciplined league makes him well-suited to the challenges of the Super Eagles set-up. He will be very important for the team.
“But we are still a work in progress, and integrating new players like Fernandez is part of that process, bringing fresh energy and competition into the squad”, the former Hearts left-back concluded.
