Osimhen must seize his Super Eagles opportunities

Victor Osimhen couldn't be living a better life thanks to his current sizzling displays at Napoli. 

He's constantly in the news and that's a blessing for a player for whom things didn't start out as anticipated when his club career kicked off at Wolfsburg in 2016.

Osimhen finally began to make headlines once he moved to Lille in 2019, and has become the focal point of the Super Eagles attack as a result, especially after Odion Ighalo’s international retirement that same year.

After struggling for game time and call-ups prior to that moment, Osimhen has since played 11 times, netting eight goals and providing six assists.

All of this could however come under threat following Ighalo’s return to the national team, after the Al Shabab man was called up for the final fixtures of the 2022 World Cup qualifying group phase against Liberia and Cape Verde.

The decision to recall the 32-year-old has not been met with a lot of enthusiasm considering the plethora of options available to Nigeria boss Gernot Rohr. Only the German, Nigeria Football Federation boss Amaju Pinnick and Ighalo himself, can best explain the decision-making.

It's not as though Osimhen is expected to lose his place as the starting striker, but it could biome a real possibility if he, for instance, has a bad game or a poor run of form.

Osimhen though seems pleased with Ighalo’s return into the Super Eagles fold and wants to continue gaining from the former Manchester United man's wealth of experience.

"It’s good [Ighalo’s return], it is good for the team, and of course, the coaches and the Federation knows what’s best for the team,” Osimhen said at the training camp in Morocco in preparation for the Liberia game.

“And like I said before, he’s like a big brother to me, and I really love him a lot, and I will learn a lot from him. 

“For me, it’s one of the most important things to have him in the squad, and like I said before, we all have the common goal to qualify the nation for the World Cup and to do well at the AFCON.”

It's no secret that Rohr is an admirer of Ighalo. The ex-Burkina Faso manager would not think twice about reinstating the striker who has nine goals in 11 games in the Saudi Arabian top-flight this season, a sign that he is still as sharp as the last time he bowed out on the international scene as the top scorer of both the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and tournament proper in Egypt.

Maybe the feat from that tournament is what Rohr and Pinnick can’t seem to get over. Who knows?

Osimhen needs to therefore put in an extra shift while he's on the pitch to keep Ighalo away from the starting XI. Things are working well for the 22-year-old at the moment, but form-wise the same can be said for Ighalo.

Having a more experienced striker back in the fold changes the dynamic, and only Osimhen can ensure the status quo remains unless he is content to share the spotlight a little.

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Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.

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