MFF 2021 • Success of Bonke Innocent – Selected for Nigeria

Bonke Innocent, 25, gets a lot of confidence from Jon Dahl Tomasson at Malmö FF. The midfielder played extensively in both the Champions League and Allsvenskan qualifiers.

Efforts that did not go unnoticed.

Innocent has now been named to the Nigeria national team for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old is part of the thirty-man squad that will face Liberia and Cape Verde in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

– I think he really deserves it. Then in the name of honesty, I don’t know what rivals it. But the accomplishments he’s had with us have been remarkable, says MFF Sports Director Daniel Anderson.

– He was very good in our decisive matches to take us to the Champions League.

The Nigerian team consists of eight players based at home in the United Kingdom. With Cape Verde still on the red list, these players could be banned from traveling with the team to the match. As a result, the federation chose to call up seven additional players who would be available for substitution.

One such player is Bonke Innocent.

“always do well”

Innocent’s selection means the MFF has up to nine players on their way to national team assignments during the break.

– You could say that Bonke has been here for a long time and had many setbacks when he went so long without playing. He played a lot, and then it was a long time until the next game. All the while, you could say Bonke is always good and you know what you’re getting, says Daniel Andersson.

He has been a major contributor to getting us further than we have done.

Innocent has played nine matches for MFF at Allsvenskan this year and has been included in seven Champions League qualifiers. His contract with the club expires in December.

Is he a player you wish you could continue with?

– Yes we have discussions and I hope to keep it.

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