Football Nigeria -- Eagles Etcetera

Although Odion Ighalo has not exactly been revered by Nigerian fans he  has opportunity to establish himself as the unquestioned choice as Nigeria’s top striker this summer. Ighalo has been despised by a section of Nigerian football fans because of his awful goal scoring record during the early part of his national team career. But his performance during the qualifiers for the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) has bolstered that record. Presently, his record of 0.407 goals per game is ahead of reputed goal scorers such as Yakubu Aiyegbeni (0.362) and Ikechukwu Uche (0.396), and not far behind Obafemi Martins (0.419).          Ighalo is a late bloomer, the new Emmanuel Emenike. By his 22nd game he was not remarkable but then surged in the AFCON qualifiers with seven goals. This is more like what Emmanuel Emenike had done during the period he played for Nigeria. Emenike started his first nine games scoring just once. However, he exploded at the 2013...

As the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) approaches, Nigeria's squad for the tournament appears to be set in stone. Ordinarily, this should not be a surprise. After all, teams counted as favorites to for the cup are those that have settled squads. Nigeria is one of those favorites. But there is something that strikes as unsettled with this Nigerian team. This team went to the World Cup and left with a few holes and with the retirement and questions surrounding a few key players, it appears that there is space for new talent. However, Manager Gernot Rohr is not a manager given to adopting significant changes. For him, the wheel of change rotates very slowly. The Push to Change the Squad Youngsters Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen are pushing for a place in the squad. They have been stellar for their European clubs, which is a prerequisite that Rohr has set for making the squad. However, both have barely registered as part of Rohr's team during Rohr's tenure. Osimh...