The former Charlton Athletic midfielder and the ex-Mainz defender are established stars for club and country, and there is a desire for their younger compatriots to follow in their footsteps
Gernot Rohr has revealed that he has been monitoring Rangers youngsters Calvin Bassey and Nnamdi Ofoborh, with the possibility of inviting them to the national team set-up.
21-year-old Oforboh was snapped up by Rangers last summer but allowed to spend the season on loan at Wycombe Wanderers.
Born in England, the centre midfielder has already represented Nigeria at youth level and was a member of the Flying Eagles squad to the Under-20 World Cup finals in Poland last year.
Bassey, also 21, joined Rangers at the start of this season from Leicester City’s youth team, and the left-back has featured in eight league games for the Gers.
Born in Italy to parents with Nigerian roots but raised in England, Bassey is eligible to play for the Super Eagles and the two European nations.
The youngster is taking his first steps in first-team football alongside established internationals such as Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo.
The defender and the playmaker are a crucial component of the Rohr-led Super Eagles, and both have been vital to Rangers push to end Celtic’s near ten-year domination of the Scottish Premiership.
And with Steven Gerrard’s men powering towards a long-awaited league title, the attention of the handlers of the Nigerian national team has rested on the team’s leading stars and the fringe players.
“It would be great for our players – Balogun and Aribo – if Rangers won the title,” Rohr told Record Sport.
“We have been watching Rangers a lot and scouting all their games, and there’s also Calvin Bassey and Nnamdi Ofoborh, who is an Under-20 international who both have Nigerian roots, so the challenge is there for them to join them.
“It is great that they are getting so much exposure and success at a club the size of Rangers and, as well as domestically, they have played at a very high level in Europe.”
Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi and Paderborn’s Jamilu Collins are Rohr’s first-choice left-backs for the Super Eagles.
Both full-backs are expected to make the 23-man list of players preparing to take on the Benin Republic and Lesotho later this month.
