Tag: Omeruo

Herve Renard’s first major signing as Lille new coach could will be Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo, AfricanFootball.com can exclusively report today.

Sources close to the Ligue 1 club have informed AfricanFootball.com Renard has swung into action immediately to shore up his new team ahead of the new season by compiling his list of transfer targets.

And one of his top targets is the 21-year-old Omeruo, who has caught the eye of Renard since the AFCON 2013 when the Super Eagles brushed the Frenchman’s Zambia on their way to winning a third continental title.

AfricanFootball.com has already reported that the Nigerian central defender still does not have a future at Stamford Bridge after going on loan to first Dutch club ADO Den Haag and most recently Middlesbrough.

“Renard has already made contacts to sign Omeruo and already Lille are in pole position to sign the player,” revealed the source close to the French club.

“But it is not yet known whether this would be a permanent deal or a loan.”

Omeruo’s contract at Chelsea will run out in June 2018.

This past season, Lille, who already have Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, failed to qualify to feature in either the UEFA Champions League or Europa League after they finished a disappointing eighth.

Nigeria international Kenneth Omeruo has told  AfricanFootball.com Chelsea will have a big say in his next destination when his loan deal at Middlesbrough expires at the end of the season.

The defender has a contract running with the EPL champions and said they will decide his next move.

The 2013 AFCON winner also said the Super Eagles have learnt a big lesson from their failure to qualify for the 2015 AFCON. He also talked about his football family, his career so far and aspiration in this exclusive interview with AfrcianFootball.com.

 You have played for all the national teams except for the U-23 team, how do you feel about this achievement?

I am happy and I give thanks to God for my achievements so far. I will say my success comes from God and the prayers from my family. So, I feel so happy and proud of representing Nigeria. I also have to thank my coach Stephen Keshi for trusting me, believing in me and giving me chance at a crucial period.

Parents usually don’t want their children to play football in Nigeria, is your own case different from others while you were growing up?

It was the same story, my parents never wanted me or any of my brothers to play football, all they wanted me and my brothers to do is to go to school and become graduates, but we loved playing football more than schooling, and at the end, they had to accept our choice and support us.

How did it all start for Kenneth Omeruo and his footballing brothers?

I and my brothers started playing football with other kids on the streets and in school. We were so attracted to the game, we just love playing football and before we knew it, we couldn’t do without the game and we became local champions that sometimes other older footballers let us play with them despite our age.

Three Omeruos play football… (Cuts in)

We are four, I have three brothers, Lucky, Christian and the young one who also plays football.

Who has motivated you the most?

My older brother, Christian, motivated me a lot at the beginning. He still remains my chief motivator. He encouraged me to take football seriously at some point because he wanted to go back to school and we needed to get support for the family.

Did your brother actually return to school?

Yes, he did where he read accounting.

Middlesbrough missed automatic promotion to the EPL and will now play in the playoff, do you see Middlesbrough getting back to the top flight through this route?

I believe we can win the playoffs and secure promotion to the EPL, but it won’t be easy we know. But I hope and pray we do win it. We will do our best.

Your loan deal to Middlesbrough from Chelsea expires at the end of this season, where are you hoping to play next season?

I still have a contract with Chelsea till 2018, so until that contract is finished, I remain a Chelsea player and we will see what happens at the end of the season.

Nigeria failed to qualify for AFCON 2015, the qualification for 2017 will soon start, what do you have to say about this?

I think this time things would be different, as we now know how painful it was to not qualify for a big tournament like the AFCON, I am sure we will get it right this time.

What was the worst moment of your career?

The moment I don’t want to remember in my career was when we failed to qualify for AFCON 2015. It was a very painful experience for me.

When will you describe as your best moment so far?

My best moment was winning the AFCON for Nigeria in 2013 after a long time. I am yet to have any medal at club level, who knows I may win the playoffs and help Middlesbrough secure promotion to the EPL now.

After almost two months of inactivity for Middlesbrough, Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo  onTuesday played for his club side in a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Nigeria international was introduced as a 62nd minute substitute for Jonathan Woodgate for his first competitive club action since February 28.

He showed no sign of rustiness and contributed his own effort in ensuring they preserve their 2-1 lead and picked up all three points – guaranteeing them at least a promotion playoff spot.

The 22-year old has failed to reach the same heights he achieved in his first spell at Middlesbrough last season this time around and has been a peripheral figure for Aitor Karanka’s men.

He is due back at his parent owners, Chelsea, in the summer. It is expected a decision will be made then on his long term future with the premiership league leaders.

A close  source to Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo has revealed that the Middlesbrough  FC of England on-loan star copped an injury that ought to have ruled him out of the Nigeria’s last two qualifying matches for the 2015 AFCON.

Omeruo missed some matches for his Championship side prior to the last international break but risked the injury to play for the Eagles in the qualifying games for the 2015 AFCON against Congo and South Africa last month.

The move later backfired as he suffered a knock on the same problematic spot in Pointe Noire against the Red Devils which Nigeria won 2-0 but he was again fielded against South Africa barely three days after the tie against Congo as the Eagles sought a home win over the Bafana Bafana.

Omeruo who has been a pillar of sort in the Eagles backline was a shadow of himself against the Southern Africans and he was technically responsible for the second goal the country conceded in Uyo. It was that second goal that ultimately resulted in Nigeria’s ouster from the 2015 AFCON  and the nation missing out on the list of qualifiers during draws conducted last Wednesday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Speaking in an interview  the source noted that Omeruo’s patriotism almost landed him in trouble and that the player had been advised not to risk what he did again in the future for the sake of his career.

The impeccable source further added he was happy that the former junior international has recovered from the injury and even featured for Middlesbrough last Saturday in their league 1-1 home draw with Blackburn Rovers where he lasted the entire 90 minutes.

The source further said that Omeruo showed remorse after his injury layoff and that he has promised not to repeat what led to the complication of his initial injury again.

“It was a mistake for Kenneth to have come for the Eagles last two matches in the AFCON qualifiers. He knew he was yet to recover fromthe injury he sustained, but because he wanted to help Nigeria qualify, he had to come but at the expense of his career,” the source said.

He continued: “We have talked to him and he has learned his lesson from what happened in both games and some mistakes he shouldn’t have made during the games if he had been fit for them. I am happy he is back to the pitch playing and he even played 90 minutes for Middleborough in their last game. It showed he has fully recovered.”

Omeruo signed a contract extension with Chelsea before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the deal will keep him with the

Stamford Bridge landlords till 2018 but he is currently on loan with Middlesborough who are presently sixth on the Championship log with 31points from 19 games. He and the Riverside side will travel to Millwall this weekend for a Match day 20 tie.

Kenneth Omeruo’s  willingness and desire to qualify Nigeria for next year’s AFCON saw him play twice for the team in their final qualifiers despite carrying a knock.

The Nigerian is yet to kick a ball for his loan side Middlesborough for six weeks now, but played once for Nigeria in the ill-fated 2-2 draw with South Africa after sitting out the away game against Congo in Pointe Noire.

Omeruo trained once before the game and according to his club medics he aggravated his injury playing for Nigeria.

“He picked up a groin strain injury which normally takes a week to heal, but he played three days later for his country and aggravated it,” Manager Karanka said to the Evening Gazette.

“The injury made us keep him out of last game before the internationals, but it’s unfortunate he wanted to help his country so bad that he played and made matters worse.”

However, the manager is optimistic that the week rest he has enjoyed since Nigeria’s last qualifiers should see him make the matchday squad for this weekend game.

“He isn’t fit enough to start but hopefully should start on the bench pending on how he comes through today’s training,” he added.

Omeruo is Nigeria’s established first choice central defender alongside Godfrey Obaboana since the AFCON 2013 final group game against Ethiopia.

Obaboana was suspended for the South Africa game forcing manager Stephen Keshi to field an unfamiliar pair in Azubuike Egwuekwue and Omeruo which backfired and cost Nigeria a place at next year’s Nations Cup .

Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo could not  control his emotions following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.

SportingLife sighted the Middlesborough of England defender weeping profusely at the team’s Le Meridien Hotel in Uyo on Wednesday night.

Sadly, yesterday’s match was Omeruo’s worst for Nigeria and he should be blamed for one of the goals scored by South Africa’s striker Rantie Toaelo.

 Nigeria and South Africa played a 2-2 draw which unfortunately was not enough for the African champions to qualify for the Nations Cup and defend their title.

The Eagles ended their campaign with eight points to place third in group A behind Congo Brazzaville who qualified after defeating Sudan by a lone goal.