Nigeria has not had it so good with quality strikers in recent times. The last time the Super Eagles had so many top strikers to choose from was during the Clemence Westerhof era when the team was blessed with Rashidi Yekini, Richard Owubokiri, Efan Ekoku, Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba and Dominic Iorfa, among others.
Now, the team, which recently qualified for the Cameroun 2022 African Cup of Nations, have some exciting youngmen battling for the striking slots in the team.
Excited by the options available to Coach Gernot Rohr, former international, Dahiru Sadi, says the Nigerian coach does not have much to worry about going into the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which begins next month.
Victor Osimhen, Paul Onuachu, Simeone Nwankwo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Sadiq Umar and Terem Moffi have been in top form for their European clubs since the beginning of the season.
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Sadi said it was a good pain for Coach Rohr to have available so many quality strikers, who are scoring goals for their clubs in Europe.
“Having these strikers available for the country in next month’s World Cup qualifiers is good because these are players who are in top form and playing regularly for their clubs. I will say that the headache from this task is a good one for the coach.
“One problem the coach may have is in selecting the best among the strikers because all of them cannot play at the same time. Rohr can only pick one striker at a time or two strikers, depending on the kind of formation he wants to play.
“For me, it will be exciting to see these strikers fighting for spots in the Eagles when the World Cup qualifiers commence,” he said.
The former Ranchers Bees midfield maestro believes the Super Eagles are on the way to regaining their position in world football, adding that the coaches must learn how to manage the players’ egos.
“From experience, I know some people will not be happy if they are in good form and yet are not used in matches. The coaches are experienced in this and can manage the situation well,” he said.