Viv Efosa Solomon-Otabor Replaces Injured Samuel Kalu For Brazil Friendly

Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has called up PFC CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria winger Viv Efosa Solomon-Otabor as replacement for injured Bordeaux of France winger Samuel Kalu ahead of Nigeria’s friendly with Brazil on 13 October.

Solomon-Otabor, 23, joins Tyronne Ebuehi as late callups to the national team for the game which will hold in Singapore.

Born in London to Nigerian parents, the 23-year-old winger who is also comfortable as a second striker comes from a footballing family with father Victor having played for hometown club Bendel Insurance and uncle Thompson Oliha a former Nigerian international.

Solomon-Otabor would hope to follow in the footsteps of Alex Iwobi whose uncle Jay Jay Okocha also donned Nigeria’s green and white jersey by making his debut against the six-times world champions.

Now on the books of CSKA Sofia in the Bulgarian topflight, the winger has enjoyed something of a peripatetic career having turned out for the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Portsmouth and Birmingham City in the last five years before settling in Spain.

The former Birmingham City young player of the year had previously trained with Nigeria’s U23 Olympics team in 2015 but had never earned a call up to the senior side until now.