By Wale Mustapha
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Nigerian winger Nathan Tella could make his long-awaited return to action in the upcoming DFB Pokal semi-final against Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday.
Leverkusen will travel to the SchucoArena for the high-stakes clash, with a spot in the final of the prestigious German Cup on the line.
Tella has been sidelined for the past three weeks due to injury, but Alonso is hopeful the Super Eagles forward will be fit to feature.
“He feels much better now. We’ll train today, and if there are no issues during the session, he will be in the squad to face Bielefeld tomorrow,” Alonso stated during a press conference on Monday.
A victory for Leverkusen would secure their place in the DFB Pokal final for the second consecutive season, keeping their hopes alive for a major domestic trophy.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
