Cardiff, Wales – E be like say Cardiff City coach, Brian Barry-Murphy, don carry mouth enter wahala as him dey criticize the scheduling of their Welsh derby with Newport County wey go happen on Tuesday for the EFL Trophy. Dis clash go gree happen right in the middle of international window, and na im be the wahala!
As e be, the Bluebirds no go fit feature plenty players wey fit give them serious leverage for the game because dem all don join their national teams. Players like Dylan Lawlor, Ronan Kpakio, Isaak Davies, Joel, and Rubin Colwill dey with Wales as dem prepare for Thursday friendly against England and next week World Cup qualifier against Belgium.
No forget say Dakarai Mafico, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa, and Luey Giles too dey represent for Wales Under-21 squad. And Cian Ashford? Him dey suspended for the Newport match, so no be say him go fit help the crew! Even Alex Robertson don pack bag go Australia, where e go dey play friendly against Canada and the USA. Na wah oo!
Coach Barry-Murphy no carry last mouth talk say, “E be unique situation. I don see dis competition before and I sabi wetin e fit do for teams. But why we go play dis game when our better players like Dak and Tanatswa dey abroad? E no just make sense.” (Sometimes wey dem do schedule, e be like say dem no reason am well.)
Barry-Murphy still hard talk say plenty of players from Cardiff’s under-21 side dey away on international duty too, including those from the Under-19s and Under-18s. As e be now, dem go need manage the few players wey dey available to come form team wey go fit face Newport.
Last month, Cardiff don kick off their EFL Trophy journey with small 1-0 win for Exeter City, where Lawlor, Giles, Mafico, Nyakuhwa, and Davies all show their faces. Kpakio and Ashford even come join as substitutes. But now, as Newport don dey struggle, dem don find themselves at the bottom of League Two after dem lose to Swindon last Saturday, while Cardiff dey chill for third place in League One. Na only God know how dis derby go turn out!
Barry-Murphy talk say Cardiff fans don see small glimpse of wetin Omari Kellyman fit do against Orient, and e go start against Newport. He don line up Troy Perrett to join the squad too. Plus, na time for 16-year-old Rob Tankiewicz to shine, as dem fit give am senior debut. “Omari Kellyman need fitness, so na good chance for am to play,” Barry-Murphy tok. “But we go dey look who be the first-team players wey need game time more.”
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