Sports
Osimhen’s Absence: Five Quality Alternatives To Transform Rohr’s S’Eagles
It is no longer news that the Super Eagles’ biggest star at the moment, Victor Osimhen, is out of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in January.
The Napoli striker suffered a terrible injury last weekend that damaged his face and required surgery.
Even though the complicated surgical operation was a success, the surgeon who worked on the 22-year-old has confirmed that the youngster is not expected to take to a football pitch for another two months.
That dashes any hope any Super Eagles fan has of the Napoli lad miraculously making a quick recovery and being a part of the party to Cameroon less than six weeks from today.
Needless to say, Osimhen is a massive loss for the Nigerian national team. The former Lille star has shouldered the Super Eagles’ goalscoring burden almost effortlessly since Odion Ighalo first announced his retirement from the team.
Osimhen scored five goals in six games to help the Gernot Rohr-led side qualify for the AFCON with a game to spare. And he delivered four more goals during the World Cup qualifying campaign to power the Eagles to the playoff round.
His ten goals and six assists in his last 16 appearances across two years paint the picture of a striker who thrives, not only at club level but also in the green-and-white colours.
Rohr will struggle to replace Osimhen’s energy, industry, and quality in attack, especially with little time available for the Super Eagles to adapt to playing with a new number nine.
Nigerian attackers have hit a purple patch in Europe at the moment, and it appears every major club already has one or is targeting to sign one.
At a point in the summer, Genk had four Nigerian forwards on their payroll, while Watford had two. From Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga to Slovan Bratislava in the Slovakian Fortuna Liga, there is at least one Nigerian forward delivering the goods regularly.
There is, therefore, a long list of strikers, head coach Gernot Rohr can choose from to improve the Super Eagles’ forward line.
Bar any major surprises, Genk’s Paul Onuachu, Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, and Al Shabab’s Odion Ighalo already make up the bulk of the attackers Rohr will take to Cameroon in January.
But Onuachu is not fast enough for the kind of football Rohr wants his team to play. The German gaffer does not trust Iheanacho to lead the attack all on his own, and it is evident that age and the Saudi Arabian Pro League have slowed down Ighalo more than a bit.
Rohr and his assistants, therefore, need to look further than their noses and give a chance to one or two of the strikers who are painting Europe red with goals.
One of which is Union Berlin’s Taiwo Awoniyi. It is so difficult to look past a striker who has been tested in the Belgian and Dutch leagues and is presently flourishing in the German top-flight.
The 24-year-old is not Osimhen, but he is also strong, fast, and troubles defenders with his tireless pressing and endless running. The former Liverpool signing recently became Union Berlin’s record goalscorer in the Bundesliga, and it still beggars belief that he has only one Super Eagles cap to his name.
Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis is another name that should catch Rohr’s attention. The 24-year-old has not played more than 11 minutes in each of the three times he has featured for the Super Eagles, but his talent is undeniable.
And he is currently displaying it on the most glamorous stage of all, the English Premier League. The former Club Brugge star has four goals and five assists in nine league games for the Hornets and was the architect of Manchester United’s 4-1 thrashing at the Vicarage Road last weekend.
He can play anywhere in the front three, but through the centre is where he could be most devastating for the Eagles.
There is also Umar Sadiq. The former U-23 star has been Nigeria’s brightest shining star in the Spanish second division, and there is a reason why he is linked to Barcelona, Newcastle, Sevilla, and some other notable clubs on the continent.
Sadiq has pace, holds the ball well, and scores goals for fun. His commitment to Almeria has made him snub a couple of Rohr’s invitations before, but who can say no to a chance to be at Africa’s biggest football festival?
And there is Cyriel Dessers. The Feyenoord man is an old-fashioned fox-in-the-box type of striker who is blessed with two good feet.
The Genk-owned forward is building a reputation in the Netherlands as a supersub, but he can certainly get the job done from kick-off, as he showed many times at Heracles.
And it is almost unforgivable that he has made just one appearance for the Super Eagles after committing to Nigeria ahead of Belgium.
Another forward whose form could pave the way for a maiden call-up is Slovan Bratislava’s Ezekiel Henty.
A powerful presence in the box and adept at sticking the ball in the back of the net, Henty is Nigeria’s most prolific striker in Europe at this point, with 14 goals across all competitions.
The 28-year-old attacker looks like a fine blend of a right-footed Iheanacho and a faster Ighalo. He may, however, not have the international experience required to keep Onuachu and Ighalo on the Eagles bench at a major tournament.
Other notable mentions include Venezia’s David Okereke, Randers’ Stephen Odey, Lorient’s Terem Moffi, Trabzonspor’s Anthony Nwakaeme, Slavia Prague’s Peter Olayinka, and, Sivasspor’s Olanrewaju Kayode. They have all shown their quality in recent times and should at least get a look-in from Rohr.
The Super Eagles and their fans should not give up the hopes of a fourth continental title charge because of Osimhen’s injury and expected absence. It is not over yet.
The introduction of a reliable striking replacement and adequate technical input from the coaching crew can make the 2013 Afcon champions the team to beat in Cameroon.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.
Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.
Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.
Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.
But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.
Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.
It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.
Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.
For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.
Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.
Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.
Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.
The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.
“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”
Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.
The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.
“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”
He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.
“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”
Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.
The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).
Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.
Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.
Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.
Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.
Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.
Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.
The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.
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