Rangers star Joe Aribo scored on his international debut against Ukraine for the Super Eagles and has been tipped by a retired England striker to become a vital player for the African giants for many years to come.
Former Wimbledon forward John Fashanu has charged that all strings must be pulled to protect Aribo has he seeks to fulfill potentials that can easily see him become Nigeria’s best player of his generation.
The former Charlton Athletic midfielder has dolled out one excellent performance after another since making his debut a couple of months ago, the highlight of which was scoring a fantastic goal in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Brazil a few weeks ago.
Aribo, 23, was equally impressive as the Super Eagles battled from a goal down to triumph 2-1 over Benin on Wednesday in his first competitive game for the three-time African champions. The Ibrox midfielder is in line to feature again when Nigeria trade tackles with Lesotho on Sunday evening.
It could all have gone differently for the Ibrox star who could have played for England instead having been born in Camberwell, London. But Joseph Oluwaseyi Temitope Ayodele-Aribo’s outstanding performances have won him another fan in John Fashanu, another player who took a different path by snubbing Nigeria to feature twice competitively for the Three Lions.
“Aribo is going to be a very important player for Nigeria,” Fashanu said as monitored by Soccernet.ng.
“He is going to be one of our key players for years. He’s been doing very well for Rangers and has been exceptional since his debut for Nigeria.
“Joe is going to be targeted by the opposition because they know what he can do. It’s important he is used properly by us because he’s vital for the team.
“And I also agree with the coach of Lesotho that once you take him (Aribo) out with Osimhen, the Eagles team may struggle. He is the coach and he knows what he is doing.”