Feirense CD striker Abraham Marcus says he could not believe it when he was told he was on the list of players Nigeria gaffer, Gernot Rohr has invited for the June 4 international friendly against Cameroun in Austria.
Marcus, who had previously been with Feirense’s Under-23s after joining the club from NPFL side Remo Stars, where he scored seven goals in 23 appearances. also recalled the promise he made to his dad (now late) and he is delighted his dream is coming true.
“I told my late dad before he passed that any time I step foot in Europe and have a good season, I will surely make it to the national team,” Marcus told ESPN.
“My dad loved football and he always wanted to see me in the Super Eagles. So when I saw my name on the list, the first thing I did was to go straight to the bathroom to relieve myself. I did not believe it.
“I looked at the name again to make sure there was no mistake, and then I called my boss to ask him if this was really me or somebody else.
“Even when he said it was me, I still did not quite believe it and then a few minutes later, my phone started blowing up. I think that was when I finally believed that it was me.
“I was very, very excited when I saw my name on the list. It is a dream come true.”
Marcus has scored 11 goals and bagged two assists from 24 appearances for his portuguese club, has earned seven player of the match awards and one player of the month award.
“Having a chance to play football is just a joy for me. My main focus is just to score goals. Any time I am on the pitch, I just try to do what the coach tells me so I can score,” he said.
The 21-year-old is looking forward to bringing that mentality to the national team even if he is still feeling giddy about his invitation.
“It is a privilege to play with the big players in Nigeria like Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Peter Etebo, Victor Osimhen. I cannot wait to meet everyone,” he said.