Lukeman Haruna :His gain was Obi’s pain

Nigerian midfielder, Lukeman Haruna, shot to prominence during the West African country’s participation at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when he was called to replace injured Mikel Obi.

During that competition, although he was one of the youngest players in the squad, he played a key role that warranted a permanent position in the squad subsequently but injuries blighted his chances of continuing his exploits with the Super Eagles.

At a point, he was being compared to Obi, with many holding the view that Haruna was a better player than the Chelsea midfielder.

Until then he had only captained the Under-17 side three years earlier when he contributed in Nigeria’s winning both the continental and the World Under- 17 competitions in 2007 in South Korea.

The Anzhi Makhachkala midfielder, who is currently married and has with twin daughters, has been out of the Eagles team following a dip in form but has found solace with the Russian club, which signed him on loan from Dynamo Kiev.

According to the player, his toughest opponent ever encountered in a game was Lionel Messi. “I remember the match between Nigeria and Argentina, Messi and his teammates gave us a very tough time. Super Eagles were weak and the Argentines took possession of the game. We gave them too much respect, especially Lionel Messi, and that really weighed us down”.