Obafemi named in Ireland u21s squad for training camp

After missing a spot in Stephen Kenny’s senior team, Michael Obafemi and U21 football fans can celebrate his latest appointment. Obafemi has been named in Ireland’s U21 team and planned to head for a training camp ahead of the crunch qualifiers in October and November.

The Southampton attacker was omitted in the senior team and instead linked up with Jim Crawford after the weekend. However, he vented his frustrations on his omission from the senior squad on Monday.  

National team coach Stephen Kenny insisted that the twenty-year-old Obafemi has a big future with the national team. According to Stephen, Obafemi has to go through the under twenty-one team first and do well at that level.

His club mates Will Smallbone and Will Ferry received their first call ups for the team. Watford’s Cassidy and St Patrick’s Athletic defender Luke McNally also received their first call for the team.

Crawford’s twenty-five man squad will head for a four-day training camp in Northern Ireland from Monday to Thursday. This team has three big qualifiers in the autumn against Italy, Luxembourg, and Iceland. That’s a campaign to build on a strong team for 2021 Euro.

 A proposed friendly away to Slovenia was cancelled due to travel restrictions related to the world pandemic. That means that Crawford, the successor of Stephen Kenny at the under twenty-one level, will head straight to the qualification battle. The games will be in October, and the preparations for the same will begin on Monday 17TH September.

There is more league of Ireland representation in the shape of Sligo rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty, Dundalk full-back Darragh Leahy, shamrock rovers duo Liam scales, and Neil Farrugia, as well as bohemians pair Danny grant.

Jim Crawford’s side will face Slovenia in an international friendly. The game will be played before their three remaining matches in group one.

The Ireland team is on the top of their qualifying group. They are three points ahead of Italy who is currently holding the second position. In the seven matches played so far, the Ireland team has suffered only one defeat. Ahead of the qualifying match with Slovenia, Jim Crawford will take charge of the team for the first time. The team will travel to Slovenia on Monday, 17th September for an international friendly.

In October, the Crawford side will play against Italy in a huge game at the top of their group on Tuesday, 13th October. After the game against Italy, the team will have two games remaining, two fixtures in October. 

Ireland will host Iceland on Thursday, 12th November. Thereafter the team will travel to Luxembourg for the final group game on Tuesday, 17th November. 

Obafemi made his debut for the Republic of Ireland in the under twenty-one team on 10th October, 2019. He came off from the bench and impressed both fans and media alike. The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate against Italy at Tallaght stadium. Crawford is looking forward to the impressive performance of the player at the under twenty-one team.