It Was Surreal To Face Neymar And Coutinho With The Super Eagles – London-born Otabor

CSKA Sofia forward Viv Solomon-Otabor can’t stop reliving his first international call-up for Nigeria, which was handed over to him in preparation for the match against Brazil last year.

Gernot Rohr led the Super Eagles to trade tackles with the five-time world champions in October, with Nigeria pulling off a decent 1-1 draw against a talented side that had Neymar, Coutinho and Casemiro.

It was the Los Blancos midfielder who grabbed the equalizer for the Selecao after Rangers ace Joe Aribo had netted the opener for the 2013 African champions.

Solomon-Otabor failed to come off the bench in that game, having been called as a last-minute replacement for the injured Samuel Kalu.

But it was still a brilliant moment for the 24-year-old attacker who moved to Bulgaria last summer following his struggles in the Championship.

“It was surreal to be in the (Nigerian) squad and in training,” the former Birmingham City star told the Guardian.

“I was very excited and happy, but when I got there, I knew it was business. I trained and performed well – it was just unfortunate I didn’t get on the pitch. I assume another opportunity will come.

“Obviously, seeing world-class players like Neymar and Coutinho, alongside talented youngsters like Jesus and Casemiro, it was a very exciting moment for me personally and a very proud moment for my family.”