By Daily Sports on February 25, 2020

I have never seen, since I started watching football, an introduction of a player in place of another who was unfortunate to have been struck with injury draw so much applause. That was what happened on Sunday evening at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s home ground when young Bukola Saka replaced the team's regular left back Saed Kolasinac who had gone down in a heap following a collision with an Everton player in the thrilling match between both sides which the resurging Arsenal won 3-2.

To be clear, Saka’s introduction drew massive hailings not because Kolasinac was having a bad day or because the fans do not like the Bosnian-German. The loud cheers for Saka was simply because the Arsenal fans have taken to a real liking of the 18-year-old of Nigerian origin who naturally was a winger but has embraced the switch to left back and has taken the role as a duck to water.

What a revelation Saka has been for Arsenal since he broke into the first team last season and his adaptability playing now as left back has been even more remarkable.

Immediately he came on for Kolasinac, he whipped in a delightful cross for Eddie Nketiah to level the scores after the Gunners surprisingly found themselves one goal down seconds into the game.

By so doing, Saka equalled Cesc Fabregas’ record of 2006/7 as a teenager who has reached double figures of assist in one season.

The focus on Saka has intensified as one would naturally expect. Arsenal are trying to tie him down to a longer and more lucrative contract to keep him away from the prying eyes of other top European clubs.

And of course the matter of which country he will opt for as far as senior international football is concerned between Nigeria, his country by blood and his country by birth, England.

Responding to enquiries on which country he would likely play for, Saka said in December: “I am always thinking about it but I haven’t made a decision yet. No-one has been in touch but when I make a decision you will find out.”

Personally, I think playing for the country of a player's origin should be the decision that a player should take. Though it is understandable if a player decides to play for the country where he grew up and has more friends, blood, they say, is thicker than water. If you are from a place by blood, then it should mean a lot and it’s something to take pride in.

But it’s up to the Nigerian Football Federation and the Super Eagles coach to really make a push to the player and sell the Super Eagles project honestly and positively to the player.

The Nigerian senior national team is in a healthy position at the moment, bar the distractions over the Franco-German coach Gernot Rohr’s contract renewal. The team is brimming with younger players and some players of Nigerian origin who have spent most of their lives in Europe are in the team and look happy to be playing for Nigeria.

Saka should be informed of that by now and this could make his decision to play for the Super Eagles easier.

But just like he seems to be stalling on a new contract with Arsenal, Saka is well aware of his rising value and wants to make the most of it by being careful about the decisions he makes. It is his career and we must respect that.

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 25, 2020

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