Five Nigerian players Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro can invite to replace injured Victor Osimhen and Umar Sadiq ahead of this month’s upcoming friendly against Algeria.
The two former African champions will trade tackles in Oran on September 27 during the next international break.
Both Osimhen and Sadiq had strong beginnings to the new season before suffering serious injury setbacks, giving two of Nigeria’s top strikers a rollercoaster season.
The Napoli target man has banged two goals in five appearances in the competition so far but former Lille star was substituted early in the first half in Partenopei’s 4-1 spanking of Liverpool at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona due to a hamstring problem.
Sadiq opens his Real Sociedad account in the 1-1 score draw with Atletico Madrid but the Kaduna-born goalscorer damaged his cruciate ligament in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Getafe last weekend.
Here are five players Super Eagles coach Peseiro should be invited to fill in for the injured pair during the international break when Nigeria will play Algeria in a high-profile international friendly.
Terem Moffi
FC Lorient striker has been in impressive form in France after scoring five goals in seven Ligue 1 encounters.
Moffi has found the back of the net on two occasions in four fixtures for Super Eagles where he scored a brace in 10 bashing of Sao Tomé and Principle in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification in June 2022.
The Calabar-born goal machine would be a wise choice to lead the line for the Eagles against Algeria.
Cyriel Dessers
Dessers is another player who has never received the proper credit from Super Eagles coaches after he was not called upon by the Nigeria Football Federation before the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon because of former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo.
However, the national football governing body’s attempts to lure the Belgium-born star into Eguavoen’ssquadd ultimately failed.
Dessers has been struggling to set Serie A alight after scoring three goals in three games for Genk to open the season before newly promoted side Cremonese.
Former Genk striker deserves a spot in Super Eagles squad if not the starting XI, should be available for a striker who has scored as many goals as he has in various European leagues and Europa Conference League last term.
Taiwo Awoniyi
Awoniyi has been in sensation form for Union Berlin last season where he notched 15 goals and helped his Bundesliga outfit to secure Europa League football this campaign.
The 25-year-old Illorin-born striker’s outstanding scoring season in Germany was overlooked by the then Super Eagles boss Eguavoen for the final 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff against Ghana.
Awoniyi moves to Nottingham Forest in a big money transfer window this summer on a five-year deal and the former Liverpool star scored his first Premier League during side 1-0 over West Ham on 14 August.
This would be the ideal time to bring Awoniyi back into the Super Eagles.
Victor Boniface
Boniface has been one of the revelations of the season in the eight-matchday-old Belgian Jupiter with Union Saint Gilloise.
The 21-year-old was brought to Stade Joseph Marien as a direct replacement for club hero Deniz Undav, who had completed a move to Brighton & Hove Albion for six million euros.
Boniface has a goal and an assist in five league matches for Les Unionistes including after providing Union SG’s winner against Awoniyi’s former club Union Berlin for their first-ever triumph in the Europa League.
Former Nigeria U20 striker is been likened to Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku has been causing all sorts of problems for defenders in Belgium and beyond and will be an opportunity to get his senior cap under the tutelage of Peseiro in charge of the national team.
David Okereke
Okereke has featured for Nigeria at the U-23 level but the former Club Brugge star has failed to impress Genort Rohr to earn the Super Eagles invite.
The 25-year-old scored seven goals in 32 Serie A matches as Venezia Football Club was relegated back to Italian second-tier football last season on loan but his performance ensure he joined new arrival Cremonese.
Okereke has been charged with goals responsibility after the Serie A paid a €10 million transfer fee to Club Brugge but the Nigerian striker has found the back of the net twice for The Tigers.
He should seize this opportunity to make his Super Eagles debut during the month international break.
