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Tag: Omeruo

  • Omeruo relegated to bench

    Omeruo relegated to bench

    This is obviously not the best of times for Super Eagles on-loan Chelsea defender Kenneth Omeruo who has lost his starting spot at Middlesborough.

    The 21-year-old, in his second loan spell at Premiership promotion hopefuls Middlesborough, has fallen behind in the pecking order at the club.

    Manager Aitor Karanka omitted the Nigerian in their last three games and reports from the riverside suggest the manager will stick with the same back four this weekend.

    The back four of George Friend, Daniel Ayala, Ben Gibson and Ryan Fredericks have conceded only two goals in the three games they have started.

    Omeruo’s last action for the team was against Wolverhampton Wanderers where they lost 2-0, since then he has been on the bench for subsequent games.

    His situation will also trouble Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi as it will mean that only Godfrey Obaboana is a regular at club level in the Super Eagles’ regular back four.

    Efe Ambrose is yet to kick a ball in anger for Celtic in over a month now while Elderson Echjiele has been in and out of the first team of Monaco.

    The Super Eagles are currently third in their group and face the possibility of missing out on a spot at next year’s AFCON.

  • AFTERMATH OF CAPITAL ONE CUP DEFEAT: Boro’s loss saddens Omeruo

    AFTERMATH OF CAPITAL ONE CUP DEFEAT: Boro’s loss saddens Omeruo

    Middlesbrough of England defender, Kenneth Josiah Omeruo wore a forlorn figure after his Championship side lost narrowly 13-14 to Liverpool in the Fifth Round of the Capital One Cup played on Tuesday at the Anfield Stadium.

    Boro had held the home team to a 2-2 draw after extra time before the marathon penalty shootout which saw 30 kicks taken and only three missed at the end of the game.

    Omeruo’s state of mind was revealed to SportingLife by his advisor, Chika Akujobi who disclosed that the Super Eagles defender couldn’t believe his eyes when it dawned on him that his hard fighting Boro side had been eliminated from the competition despite posting a performance good enough for the at least the next round.

    Akujobi revealed that Omeruo told him that all the players of Middlesbrough were a pitiable sight to behold at the end of the hostility and had to be consoled by the coaches and other officials even when they got to the changing room.

    “Omeruo told me that they were yet to recover from the loss and that they believed that they would win the game based on the effort they had put into the game only to lose under such circumstances.

    “He said they all wore very sad looks at the dressing room and even on the way to the hotel. He however disclosed that they must move on from the loss and concentrate on the Championship game they are having this weekend,” Akujobi told SportingLife.

  • I’m ready to bang Congo – Omeruo

    I’m ready to bang Congo – Omeruo

    Nigeria defender Keneth Omeruo has said he has regained full fitness going into next weekend’s 2015 AFCON qualifier involving the African champions.

    The Super Eagles take on Congo in Calabar on September 6 in what will be the Eagles first game since the World Cup in Brazil.

    They will also be in Cape Town, South Africa, four days later in continuation of the qualifying tournament for the 2015 Nations Cup in Morocco.

    Omeruo,who has played in every championship game for Middlesbrough this season, told Africanfootball.com: “I am in a very good shape now. I am fit and ready to go for the game against Congo.

    “We know the importance of the game and understand the need to start the qualifier on a good footing.”

    South Africa and Sudan are the other teams in this qualifying series, which will produce the top two teams to advance to Morocco 2015.

  • Omeruo roars!: Bring on Congo

    Omeruo roars!: Bring on Congo

    Super Eagles’ defender, Keneth Omeruo has declared his readiness to storm the national team camp for a shirt ahead of next month’s Nations Cup qualifier against Congo and South Africa.

    The Middlesbrough strongman who was one of the standout performers for Nigeria at the Brazil 2014 World Cup   assured that he would be available for those games.

    The defender also stressed that he and his teammates have taken positives from the experiences they gathered in Brazil where the Eagles crashed out in the second round to France.

    Omeruo who is a Chelsea player but loaned to Middlesbrough where he spent the second half of last season to enhance his Brazil 2014 World Cup chances with the Super Eagles also commented on Boro’s loss in an English Championship game last weekend.

    The  defender told SportingLife that they won’t allow a repeat of what caused their loss of concentration when they engage other teams in the remaining Championship matches this season.

    Omeruo told SportingLife: “It is one of those things. We will improve in our next game and others to come. It was a very tough game for us and we just switched off when it mattered most in the game.”

  • Omeruo earns praise from Adomah

    Omeruo earns praise from Adomah

    Kenneth Omeruo’s teammate at Middlesborough, Albert Adomah, has hailed the contribution of the Nigerian international since his return to Boro for a second loan spell from Chelsea.

    Adomah believes the presence of international players with World Cup experience like Kenneth and himself will further strengthen Middlesbrough in their push for promotion to English Premier League.

    “It’s always a positive when you have international players. Not just players who have played in a World Cup like myself and Kenneth, but to have players who have represented their country. It brings a bit of experience,” he was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Post.

    Despite succumbing to a late goal against Leeds in their last Championship game, Adomah who had a goal harshly disallowed in what was there first loss of the season, insists Omeruo deserves accolade for his performances.

    “It’s great to have Kenneth back at the club. He was solid as a rock against Leeds. Yes, we conceded, but he brings a lot to the team.” he added.

    “Every season the squad gets stronger, it improves year on year, but you need a strong squad because it’s a long season.”

  • Boro against Leeds United: Omeruo ‘fit to start’

    Boro against Leeds United: Omeruo ‘fit to start’

    Kenneth Omeruo looks set to start Boro’s lunchtime showdown with Leeds United today after being rested for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup clash at Oldham Athletic.

    The Chelsea loanee is still working his way back to full fitness after being given extra time off following his participation at the World Cup with Nigeria.

    The 20-year-old was named on the bench by Aitor Karanka for last weekend’s Championship opener with Birmingham, but was called into action inside the first minute of the new season as Ben Gibson limped off with a hamstring injury.

    However, despite fears about his fitness in the lead-up to the game, Omeruo put in another strong showing in the heart of Boro’s defence.

    Ahead of today’s game,  Karanka hinted that Omeruo could start at Elland Road today – which could mean captain Jonathan Woodgate will have to settle for a space on the bench.

    Karanka said: “Kenneth played in the last game for 93 minutes, other than the first 20 seconds, and he is ready. I gave him a rest for Tuesday’s game (at Oldham) and he’s fit to play on Saturday.”

    New signings Adam Clayton and Damia Abella also look set to feature at Elland Road as Boro target a third successive win in all competitions.

  • Omeruo eyes promotion with Boro

    Omeruo eyes promotion with Boro

    Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo, has set a promotion target for himself with Championship side, Middlesbrough.

    The Chelsea defender, who along side Blues teammates and country men, John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses, represented Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup followed Nigeria’s performance at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as he took to Social Media to express his support for Team Nigeria and Blessing Okagbare who clinched two Gold Medal for Nigeria.

    Omeruo also talked about his target for next season where he’ll be playing on loan at Middlesbrough.

    The 20-year-old, who is on loan from Chelsea, took to Twitter as he wrote about his target for next season.

    Omeruo’s Tweet reads: “Thanks for the love guys hopefully we would get promotion this season. It would mean a lot to be part of it.”

    Omeruo played in fourteen games while on loan at Middlesbrough last season and had a good display at the World Cup in Brazil.

  • World Cup has made Omeruo better – Boro coach

    World Cup has made Omeruo better – Boro coach

    Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has said he expects Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo to be a better player after the World Cup in Brazil.

    “He was handed the opportunity to play in the World Cup and he is now coming back to us a better player,” Karanka told The Northern Echo.

    “He is a very important player to us. He is someone I love to have with us because he’s a player who came here from Chelsea and his mood was always perfect. He was always happy and fighting for his position.”

    He played all four matches involving Nigeria at Brazil 2014.

    The 20-year-old Omeruo made 14 appearances for the Championship team last season after he made a switch from Stamford Bridge to the Riverside in January on loan.

    He is back on a second loan spell with Middlesbrough despite interests from EPL sides like Hull City and QPR.

  • Chelsea send Omeruo back to Middlesbrough

    Chelsea send Omeruo back to Middlesbrough

    English Premiership side, Chelsea, seem set to send Kenneth Omeruo back to Middlesbrough to continue his development.

    The move seems confirmed, following a statement by Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka, in an interview with British news station, Sky sports.

    “Chelsea want to send us the player on loan and we would like to have him back with us again,” Karanka told Sky sports in the interview.

    And the Middlesbrough manager has confirmed his desire to take Chelsea defender back to the Riverside Stadium on loan next season.

    The Chelsea youngster, who impressed at the World Cup, will return to England this week having further raised his profile with the Middlesbrough boss during his four appearances in Brazil.

    “I like Kenneth not because of what he has done at the World Cup, I like him because he’s a very good guy and very good player,” Karanka told Skysports.

    Omeruo made 14 appearances for Middlesbrough last season and Karanka would like to see the defender return to the Riverside Stadium.

    “He played those games in a very good way.I was in contact with him during the World Cup,he wants to join us”

    This may not be the news Omeruo fans wants to hear following his sterling display for Nigeria, with the whole world writing that Chelsea will need him next season.

  • Omeruo named in World Cup Premiership team

    Omeruo named in World Cup Premiership team

    John Obi Mikel may have been named the Man of the Match by FIFA in the Nigeria versus Iran encounter, but Kenneth Omeruo was named in the Premiership stars that shone the brightest after the first set of matches were played at the World Cup.

    The team, which was picked by whoscored.com, from the Opta Index scores of each player, showed that Omeruo had a score of 7.60, to earn him a place among the top defenders at the Mundial after the opening game.

    The other defenders are Debuchy, Cameron and Evra, with Tim Howard in goal.

    The midfielders are Oscar, S.Y. Ki, Fellaini and Hazard, while the attack has Robin van Persie and Campbell.

    The ratings confirmed the observation of many Nigerians that Omeruo played a near-perfect game in defence for the Eagles.

    The young defender has been tipped to get a recall to Chelsea next season, following his brilliant displays for Middlesbrough in the Championship last season.