W/Cup play-offs: Etebo hands Super Eagles boost ahead of Ghana clash

Watford FC have confirmed that Nigerian midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is now available for selection having returned to full training this week in the most crucial part of the season.

He was given the medical greenlight earlier in the week and returned to full training with the rest of his teammates as they prepare for a relegation scrap.

Etebo had been sidelined for over five months with a knee injury which he suffered before the season kicked into gear.

He had not had the opportunity to represent the Hornets enough, who he only joined on a season-long loan from Stoke City in the summer, before getting injured in September in a league clash against Newcastle United.

The injury also meant that the 26 year-old, who is a vital member of the Nigerian national team squad, missed the Super Eagles’ African Cup of Nations outing in Cameroon.

However, his recovery and his return to full training now means that he is available for selection as Nigeria prepares to face Ghana to secure a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

This will come as a big boost for both the Super Eagles and for Watford who are now being managed by veteran English manager, Roy Hodgson.

Last week, the Hornets midfielder met with Nigerian Football Federation authorities who came to clear the air with Emmanuel Dennis and also assess the Watford Nigerian contingent in preparation for the matchup against Ghana later in March.

Elsewhere, Moses Simon was a delight to watch as Nantes beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in Saturday’s Ligue 1 fixture.

His assist for the opening goal in the victory over the league leaders was a personal landmark for the winger in his Nantes career.

Just four minutes into the match, Moses stormed down the left wing before playing a perfect square ball for Randal Kolo Muani to tap into the net.

That was his seventh assist of the season and according to stats website Opta, no other Nantes player has supplied more assists in a single Ligue 1 season since they began taking records in 2006/07.

That assist takes Moses’ total contributions for Nantes to 10 goals in the Ligue 1 season as he has scored three goals along with the seven assists he has provided for his teammates.

He has two more goal contributions to go to match his tally of 12 from last season (six goals and six assists in 35 League appearances), and with three more months to go we could see Moses set a new record for future Yellow Canaries to beat.