Tag: Oshaniwa

HEART boss, Robbie Neilson has asked fans to give Super Eagles full-back, Juwon Oshaniwa a break because he is still trying to get to grips with the cold Scottish weather.

Some fans might point out that the inclement conditions haven’t much to do with Oshaniwa’s liking for Cruyff turns on the edge of his own box. Neither are they a reason for the impulsiveness that led to him conceding a penalty shortly after kick-off in Wednesday night’s 3-2 win over Dundee United. Neilson, however, has praised the Nigerian’s willingness to take risks. He has urged fans to understand that players such as Oshaniwa and Juanma, who has now served a two-game suspension after being red-carded for a headbutt incident against St Johnstone, are still adapting to a new environment – and a new climate.

Neilson acknowledged that the player is struggling at present after making such a promising impression at the start of the season. Christmas and New Year can be a trying time for new arrivals from abroad cut adrift from their families. Then there are other challenges to overcome, such as hurricanes.

“He is just finding it a bit difficult to adapt at the moment, similar to Juanma,” said Neilson, on the morning after Oshaniwa’s performance against United attracted criticism from the stands. “He is coming in to a different culture, pitches. He is not used to playing on a pitch like where it has been battering down with rain for three weeks.”

The left-back arrived at Tynecastle boasting international pedigree with Nigeria. But Neilson insists Oshaniwa, who was playing his club football in Israel before signing for Hearts in the summer, is not yet the real deal – otherwise he would not be at Hearts.

“It is just about being patient,” he said. “We are bringing these guys in to try and develop them. None of them are the finished article. There is a scope to try and progress them. That is something we need to do with them all.

“We do not get players that are finished articles. They need to be developed. They are all like that. Juanma, Blazej [Augustyn], Oshaniwa, they all they need to develop here as well.

Juwon Oshaniwa has told AfricanFootball.com that he is not bothered that he is being overlooked by Eagles new coach Sunday Oliseh despite doing well at his Scottish club.

The former FC Ashdod of Israel player said he is looking forward to getting back to Eagles, but he is not losing sleep as that is not the case now.

“After winning the Nation Cup in 2013 and featured in all in the World Cup matches in 2014 for a great nation, Nigeria, I do not understand or see reason why I should be bothered that I am not back in the team yet,” he told AfricanFootball.com

“The coach is just settling down, so he has be given time and more so to give other Nigerian players out there a sense of belonging to see what they can offer.

“The most important thing now is that I am doing well in my club.

“And Nigeria is my country, any day, anytime I am always ready to wear the green and white jersey whenever I am called up.”

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has hailed Nigeria international Juwon Oshaniwa for his confidence on his team challenging for the title, but the boss would rather play down the team’s title challenge.

He revealed he has held temperance talks with his players in a bid to keep a lid on the bullish claims being made by some that they can land the Premiership title this season.

Defender Juwon Oshaniwa, an Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria and a World Cup participant is of the opinion that his team can challenge for the title.

He said: “Juwon’s a confident boy and he’s won things before; he’s won the African Cup of Nations, which is a huge tournament and far better than the Scottish Premiership, that’s for sure.

“That’s the type of player he is. I’ve brought winners here and I want winners, I want guys that want to win things. But we still need to be realistic as to where we are.

“I’ve spoken to Juwon about it and the rest of the players about just keeping things under control. We need to be realistic about where we are. The media’s all jumping on the bandwagon after five games.

“But is anyone going up to Aberdeen telling them they’re going to win the league? They’re undefeated and have a game in hand, and can go ahead of us if they win their game 3-0.

“So, just because we got promoted last season doesn’t mean we’re automatically going to have a chance of the league, because we’re not.

He said it was difficult to keep a lid on things when people keep taking the team up five games into the season, and added: “From our perspective, we don’t talk about it in the dressing room – we don’t. We just talk about what we’re going to do on the Saturday or the next day or in the next game. That’s it.”

Neilson indicated earlier this summer that the cups would be more of a priority this season after last term extra attention was paid to the league and the successful bid to win promotion back to the top flight.

Ashdod SC of Israel’s defender Juwon Oshaniwa will prosecute his club’s vital away league game against Austin Ejide’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva before travelling for the Super Eagles’ double header Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers the defender has told NationSport.

Oshaniwa and his Israeli top flight club are 11th on the log with 6 points from 7 games having lost the last three league games both home and away with the latest loss had last Saturday against Hapoel Raanana- a 2-1 home loss.

Speaking with NationSport from Israel on Sunday evening, Oshaniwa affirmed that he would be arriving Nigeria either Sunday or Monday but that his club’s management has made it imperative for him to play against his fellow Nigerian, Ejide on Saturday before being allowed to honour Eagles’ call.

He declared that all Eagles’ players know the important of the two games and that he would do all within his reach to ensure that Nigerians smile at the end of those games.

“I will be arriving Nigeria either Sunday or Monday next week because of our tough game against Hapoel Be’er Sheva which comes up on Saturday. My club informed me that I must play the game before I will be allowed to go,” Oshaniwa told NationSport.

With the delay in announcing the much expected and anticipated list of provisional players for the World Cup in Brazil expected to give some fringe players the opportunity to impress, Super Eagles World Cup hopeful Juwon Oshaniwa says there isn’t enough time to impress Coach Stephen Keshi.

Speaking to 365footballnews.com, Juwon however posited that Keshi already knows his capabilities without him trying to impress the Eagles’ boss.

“The league is already gone and we just have about three games left here and so there is nothing left to impress with. He knows me when he started me as an home base and now that I play abroad, I know that everything will be fine in making the list”

“I am a very optimistic person and I just want the will of God to be done if I will or will not make the final list of players to the World Cup”