Former Nigerian U23 international Emmanuel Sarki has urged Eric Chelle to start Samuel Chukwueze in place of the suspended Ademola Lookman in their crucial World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic.
The Super Eagles host the Cheetahs in a must-win clash on Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, with a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the line.
In a major blow for the three-time African champions, Ademola Lookman will be unavailable for selection following his yellow card in the 2-1 win over Lesotho last Friday.
The African footballer of the year was cautioned in the 64th minute of the tie, meaning he will miss this decisive encounter after picking up another caution in an earlier qualifying match.
Chukwueze on the other hand, came on as a 71st minute substitute in the win over Lesotho and had very little time to display his talents.
Nigeria must defeat Benin Republic on Tuesday and hope South Africa fail to beat Rwanda to finish top of Group C and claim the available automatic ticket to next year’s World Cup.
However, they could still be on hand to participate in the playoffs with a second-placed finish, leaving no room for complacency in tomorrow’s clash.
Sarki tips Chukwueze for Big Role against Benin Republic
Speaking in an interview, Emmanuel Sarki identified Samuel Chukwueze as an identical replacement for the suspended Lookman, citing his quality as a key factor.
“If you watch Chukwueze now at the Premier League, which is one of the difficult leagues in the world, he’s doing well”, Sarki said.
“Chukwueze just came from AC Milan to the Premier League and he is doing well in the league. He did well in his last match.
“So by starting Chukwueze in this match (against Benin) is not wrong. It is good to start him”, he continued.
“If there is no impact in the match at the first 45 minutes then he can be changed but at least Chukwueze is okay to start the match. But anybody the coach wish to start is good because all the players are good to go for now.”
