Forget Ighalo & Dessers! Ex-Nigeria striker Olorundare suggests Osimhen & Umar Sadiq's Super Eagles replacements

WHAT HAPPENED? Plenty of questions were asked on who to replace the injured duo as the Super Eagles prepare for their upcoming international fixtures against the 2019 African champions and the Europeans. The Napoli and Real Sociedad stars will spend time on the sidelines owing to contrasting injury worries.

WHAT HE SAID: With names like Odion Ighalo, Taiwo Awoniyi, Terem Moffi, David Okereke and Cyriel Dessers penciled in for consideration, the ex-Super Eagle feels a Nigerian top-flight forward should be given a chance to prove his ability.

The Sunshine Stars legend told GOAL: “It is unfortunate that our best strikers [Victor] Osimhen and [Umar] Sadiq will be missing international matches due to injuries, but this is nothing to worry about.

“Instead of debating on whether to replace them with Ighalo or Dessers ahead of our friendlies against Algeria and Portugal, I feel this is the time to give our NPFL strikers a chance.

“We will not be participating in the 2022 Fifa World Cup, and I know coach [Jose] Peseiro is trying to build a new team. So, if our local best talents don’t get the opportunity to prove their worth now, when will they ever get the platform to prove their worth?

“It is not enough to blame the NPFL players for inability to qualify for next year’s African Nations Championship if they don’t get the kind of exposure their foreign counterparts are getting.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Coach Peseiro is keen on building a solid Nigeria squad following their failure to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. For the retired striker, giving the local-based professionals an opportunity could help the Portuguese tactician achieve his desired ambitions.

STORY IN THREE PHOTOS:
No Sadiq...

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No Osimhen...

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Is this the chance NPFL stars have been craving for?

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WHAT NEXT FOR NIGERIA? Nigeria square up against Algeria in an international friendly on September 27. After that, they face World Cup-bound Portugal in another prestige friendly scheduled for November 17 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.