BY Macaulay Maduwuba
The present crop of the Nigerian Super Eagles – currently sitting 66th on FIFA Rankings – have not given better reasons to love Nigerian football than the Golden Eaglets and Dream Team VI.
The younger players have been making strides, locally and internationally. In this piece, we highlight a few of them aged 20 and below.
VICTOR OSIMHEN
The 17-year-old star led the attacking force of the Nigerian Eaglets to a successful qualifying campaign at the African youth cadre championship, Niger 2015 – where he emerged the Golden boot winner with four goals, even as the team ended up in 4th place.
Osimhen went ahead to improve on his exploits at the World Youth Championship in Chile, scoring in every game.
With a new record of 11 goals – the first ever in the championship, Osimhen left the South American nation with another Golden boot.
The player has become high-priced commodity hotly chased by European clubs. He is expected to seal a deal to an EPL side in the coming weeks.
If successfully completed, Osimhen would become another pride – aside Kelechi Iheanacho, to hit it straight through the English channel.
KELECHI NWAKALI
Teammates with Osimhen, Kelechi gladly followed in the footsteps of his older brother who had captained the immediate Eaglets before him.
Though with not as much goals as his teammate, Nigeria’s coherence gained the solidity and direction it had majorly because Nwakali manned the middle.
He was voted Most Valuable player in Chile 2015 and is currently on the list of some European clubs – most notably, Manchester City.
OKECHUKWU AZUBUIKE
When Nigeria’s success at the CHAN 2015 U23 championship is mentioned, next to him is the name, Okechukwu Azubuike.
The captain was named the Most Valuable Player by the technical study group at Senegal 2015.
PETER OGHENEKARO
Goals win matches, and when they come at the time when seals fates of players and teams, they become more than goals.
Samson Siasia’s side was criticised for their porosity, as they allowed as many goals as they scored at the other end.
But like the South American technique of ‘outscore your opponents to worry less,’ the Eaglets’ survival from the group stages to the final, rested on Etebo.
The 20-year-old ensured Nigeria was always a step ahead of their opponents, scoring five out of a total nine goals netted by the eventual champions at Senegal 2015.
Etebo is already being rated high for whichever club that minds to buy – speculations estimate him at 500,000 euros.
KINGSLEY SOKARI
Success is relative to the persons involved and the situation that arises.
Sokari helped Enyimba to the 2015 Nigerian league win – the last which he will enjoy with the Aba Elephants, at least for the time being.
This 20-year-old set a Nigerian transfer record fee of N100 million with the recent transfer to Sfaxien club, CSS.
His move marks a break through the rocks for Nigerian players moving outside the country.
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