Wins Watford Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards
In-form Watford striker, Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis, has denied reports by an online media that claimed he would not honour an invitation to play for the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations, which gets underway next month in Cameroon.
OwnGoalNigeria, in a report on Saturday, claimed that Dennis had informed the Nigeria Football Federation that he has no interest in representing Nigeria at the AFCON in Cameroon.
The report further claimed that Dennis turned down the request by the NFF to be included in the pool of players for the AFCON as he’d rather stay back in England to help the Hornets in the Premier League.
But Dennis, in a telephone chat with The Guardian, said he never told anyone in the NFF or any media organisation that he would not play for the Super Eagles.
The former Club Brugge of Belgium forward said the report by the online portal was fake news, pointing out that it was always a thing of honour, pride and joy for him to put on the famous green and white stripes of the Nigerian national team.
“This is fake news; very false report. I never said such,” said a confounded Dennis on Saturday night, hours after Watford lost 3-1 to Manchester City in a Premier League match.
“The news is a fabrication by the website and it is totally untrue,” continued Dennis, who added that he would be delighted to get a call-up to the Super Eagles squad for next month’s AFCON tournament in Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Dennis has been crowned the winner of both the Watford Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for November.
The Nigeria international has enjoyed a highly successful start to life at Watford, with this his second Player of the Month gong of the season, having won it previously in August.
Dennis scored two goals and provided two assists over a month which saw the Hornets face stiff competition, with matches against Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester City.
The 24-year-old also won a penalty in the final game of the month. Dennis’ fine showings have also resulted in a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month award.
You can vote for him here.
In a competitive poll, Dennis topped the supporter vote ahead of Joshua King, Leanne Bell and Anne Meiwald.
The pick of the bunch from last month’s goals was Dennis’ clever finish against Leicester City on November 28. Despite the snowy conditions around him, Dennis showed composure and skill to take a stuttered touch in front of goal to trick the opposition, before lifting the ball over an advancing goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Dennis’ fifth goal of the season beat strikes from King, Bell, Emma Beckett, João Pedro and Ismaïla Sarr.
