Finidi George explains decision to start Benjamin Tanimu over Kenneth Omeruo

Super Eagles interim coach, Finidi George, has shed light on why he opted to start Benjamin Tanimu ahead of veteran defender, Kenneth Omeruo, for the recent clash against the Black Stars of Ghana, Soccernet.ng reports.

George revealed that Omeruo sustained a knock during training leading up to the match against Ghana, prompting the decision to rest him.

Tanimu, who plies his trade for a Tanzanian-based club, was called up due to multiple injuries affecting the team, notably the absence of Super Eagles vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong.

Despite being an Africa-based player compared to others in Europe, Tanimu justified his call-up with an impressive performance against Ghana, catching the attention of fans and earning praise from George.

George expressed his admiration for Tanimu's talent, mentioning that he had previously attempted to recruit him while at Bendel Insurance.

“He [Benjamin Tanimu] is a player that I wanted while he was still at Bendel Insurance but it didn’t work out. So with all the injuries that we had, we had to look for a player that can substitute and it came to my mind to invite him and he is doing so well for his club in Tanzania. So why not?” Finidi stated.

He emphasized the importance of finding a capable substitute amidst the team's injury woes, highlighting Tanimu's success with his club in Tanzania.

“Not bad being his first time, it’s not easy wearing that national team colors but on the overall I will give him credit. It’s not a bad one for the first time wearing that jersey to be there up and doing is a great thing you know.” he added.

Looking ahead to the next match against Mali, George confirmed that Omeruo's absence in the Ghana clash was due to a training knock and hinted at resting him for the upcoming fixture.

“In training Kenneth [Omeruo] had a knock so I think he couldn’t go. We will rest him for the next match that was the reason” he continued

With the Super Eagles set to face Mali on Tuesday, Tanimu will aim to continue making an impact and contribute to the team's success.