'You don't sneak into the Nigerian national team' - New England Revolution assistant coach hails Alhassan

New England Revolution assistant coach Pablo Moreira lauded Alhassan Yusuf for his impressive performance in the 1-0 victory against Nashville SC.

The Super Eagles midfielder showcased his tireless work ethic, composure, and exceptional passing abilities during the match.

Yusuf joined the Major League Soccer club from Royal Antwerp during the summer transfer window, signing a contract through 2027 with an option for an additional year.

Pablo Moreira, standing in for Caleb Porter, praised Yusuf's quality and work rate while emphasizing the need for time for the Super Eagles midfielder to acclimate and become more comfortable with the team.

"I think as more games go, you're going to see him be more comfortable,” Moreira was quoted as saying by The Blazing Musket. 

"But it's what we saw, it's why we wanted him here, and he's just scratching the surface because, I said this last time, he's got a world class engine."

He further elaborated on his tireless work ethic, emphasizing how it justifies his inclusion in the Super Eagles squad.

“You don't sneak into the Nigerian National Team without having a superhuman power, and that's his. He's just got an engine that he can go, and like you saw, he's aggressive, he's a little undersized, but you saw aerially, he wins balls. He's connecting all his passes.

Moreira also referenced Yusuf’s standout performance against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, urging skeptics to review his play during that match.

“And it's just, again, what we saw out of him. If anyone has any questions about Yusuf, there's a game that we all saw. It was against Barcelona, and to me, he was man of the match. So that's his standard, and he's going to raise it to that level.”

Yusuf made his debut for Nigeria in a pre-AFCON friendly against Guinea in January 2024.

Since then, he has made five additional appearances for the national team and will hope his recent form will catch the attention of Austin Eguavoen, earning him a call-up for the upcoming doubleheader against Libya.

Adeyemi Adewale

Copyright ANS
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com