The Nigerian football community has reason to celebrate as members of the Super Eagles squad continue to light up the top leagues in Europe with their impressive performances.
In Italy, Victor Osimhen has been a standout performer for Napoli with his explosive pace and clinical finishing, making him a constant threat in the opposition box. Meanwhile, Terem Moffi has hit the ground running in his new club Nice in France, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his fearless play and eye for goal.
In England, Kelechi Iheanacho has enjoyed a resurgence in form, scoring crucial goals for Leicester City and earning himself the Premier League Player of the Month nomination for February. And in Spain, Samuel Chukwueze has continued to dazzle with his effervescent skills and blistering pace, helping Villarreal to steady their tottering campaign and realistically challenge for a spot in Europe next season. SportsLive delves into the excellence of these Nigerian strikers and explores how their top form is essential for the success of the Super Eagles on the international stage.
Napoli’s Osimhen has lit up this campaign in the Serie A that he easily makes headlines in the world of football with every match. The 24-year-old Nigerian international striker has become one of the most sought-after talents because of how impressive a 2022/2023 campaign he is having. With a total of 21 goals, Osimhen is proving to be one of the deadliest finishers in Europe. This was again obvious when he scored against Empoli as he remarkably equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of scoring in eight consecutive Serie A matches. The record was set by Ronaldo in February 2020, where he netted 11 goals during that run. Osimhen has netted 10 across his last 11 outings since January 8th, including a brace against Fiorentina.
Only Liberia’s President and soccer legend George Weah stands ahead of Osimhen in the all-time Serie A goal charts for players from Africa. Weah scored 46 goals in the Italian top flight across his 114 Serie A outings for AC Milan, while Osimhen has already scored 43 goals in 71 league outings since his big-money signing for the I Partenopei from Lille in 2020. It is a record that is likely to fall in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Osimhen’s remarkable form is attracting the attention of English Premier League clubs. Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly interested in securing his signature in the summer window. However, the striker insists his focus is solely on Napoli and helping them secure their first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona in 1990.
Osimhen is putting words to action as evident in Napoli’s recent match against Empoli. Osimhen’s 28th-minute goal helped Napoli secure a vital 2-0 win. The victory extended Napoli’s lead to 18 points over Inter Milan, who dropped points in their match against Bologna. Osimhen has now notched 21 goals in 25 outings across all competitions this term, including 19 in 20 in the Italian top flight. His recent performances have made him a top contender to be recognised at FIFA’s The Best by this time next year.
Osimhen is not the only Nigerian striker making headlines this season. Moffi, who could potentially lead the line for the Nigeria national side alongside Osimhen, had an outstanding performance in the French Ligue 1 for OGC Nice. Moffi scored twice and registered an assist as Nice defeated Monaco 3-0 away from home in the Riviera Derby. The 23-year-old has scored 34 goals since moving to Les Merlus from Kortrijk in October 2020, making him one of the most promising young strikers in Europe. Nice parted with an initial €2.5m to recruit Moffi on loan, as well as an obligatory €22.5m-buy clause, as well as a €5 million potential add-on. It’s a statement of their ambition as they look to oust some of French football’s traditional heavyweights and break back into the continental qualifying berths.
Moffi finally opened his goal-scoring account for his new club, OGC Nice, after taking 260 minutes spread across four matches. He had been struggling to find his feet in Ligue 1 since the January move and when it came, it was a burst of vigour and a resounding success. Moffi scored a brace in that 3-0 win at the Derby de la Côte d’Azur, extending their unbeaten run to eight games in the league. The equally impressive Khephren Thuram-Ulien added the third goal as Les Aiglon ran out with the 3-0 victory, which moved them up to seventh in Ligue 1. Moffi’s goals took his tally to 14 in 22 appearances this season in Ligue 1, with an assist to his name.
THEWILL recalls that Moffi had been a prolific scorer for Lorient in recent seasons, scoring 12 from 18 games in the first half of the current campaign. However, it took him some time to get going with Les Aiglons, and he swept away doubts and proved doubters wrong and showed why Nice splashed €30m on him. His performance earned the adulation of their manager Didier Digard, who insisted that while others questioned the transfer, especially as Moffi was trying to find his feet, that he never doubted the quality of his new signing.
Moffi’s brace against Monaco was historic, as he became the first player to score two goals or more at Monaco since Mario Balotelli bagged a brace in a 2-2 draw at the Stade Louis II back in January 2018. Meanwhile, the Nigerian forward has taken his haul to 14 in the French topflight division with his brace, moving within three strikes of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, who is leading the way with 17 goals after his brace against Marseille, thus edging closer in the race for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award for the 2022/2023 season. In the upcoming matches, the 23-year-old will fancy his chances of leapfrogging Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun and Lille’s Jonathan David, who are joint-second with 15 goals. Moffi’s best goal-scoring return in a single season is 20 for Lithuanian outfit Riteriai in 2019.
His sensational performance earned him a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Week, where he was rated 9/10, the same as Mbappe, while Messi scored 8/10. Moffi’s performance has shown that he has what it takes to make a significant impact for Nice, and fans will be eagerly anticipating his next match.
Over in England, Iheanacho has been turning heads in the English Premier League lately, with a string of impressive performances for his club, Leicester City. In recognition of his excellent form in February, Iheanacho has been nominated for the EPL Player of the Month (POTM) award. The 26-year-old forward played in four league games during the month, helping Leicester City to win two of them. His contribution was instrumental in securing victories over Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Iheanacho scored two goals and provided three assists during this period, making him a strong contender for the award.
Iheanacho’s form has also extended to cup competitions, where he has been a key player for Leicester City in the FA Cup, which he helped them win last season. On February 28th, he scored his third goal of the season in this competition in Leicester City’s match against Blackburn Rovers. While the team ultimately lost this match 2-1, Iheanacho’s goal helped him enter the FA Cup’s top ten scorer’s chart. For the POTM award, he faces stiff competition from the five other players shortlisted, including Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Emerson Royal of Tottenham Hotspur. However, Iheanacho’s recent form suggests that he has a strong chance of winning the award, as well as making a significant impact in the remainder of the season.
Lastly, in La Liga, Villarreal’s Chukwueze has been on top of his game this season, as he continues to produce impressive performances for the Yellow Submarine.
The 23-year-old Nigerian international has been a standout player for the team, and his latest display on Monday night was no exception. Chukwueze was in superb form during Villarreal’s match against Getafe, which they won 2-1 at the Estadio La Ceramica. The match against Getafe was a crucial one for Villarreal, who had suffered four consecutive defeats in La Liga before the game. The forward was on the scoresheet, netting his third La Liga goal of the season, and also provided an assist to help his team secure the victory. This was Chukwueze’s second La Liga game in which he both scored and assisted, the first time being against Barcelona in April 2019. Following his impressive showing, Chukwueze was named in the La Liga Team of the Week, a well-deserved recognition for his efforts. The winger has been enjoying a fantastic season, with a career-best 18 goal involvements (10 goals and 8 assists) in all competitions, which is a significant improvement from his contributions in the previous season.
Chukwueze has always been known for his mesmerizing skills on the ball, but his goals and assists tallies have been inconsistent in the past. However, this season, he has found more of his shots on target, resulting in more goals. In addition, his link-up play has also improved, as he is setting up his teammates in more dangerous positions than ever before. In terms of statistics, Chukwueze’s shots on target percentage has increased from 22% last season to 30% this season.
He is also averaging 0.52 goal-creating actions per game, an improvement from his 0.47 average from the previous season. If he continues to improve his form in front of goal and decision-making, he could become one of the most lethal wingers in La Liga and Europe. He has scored four goals in the Copa Del Rey, two in the Europa Conference League, and one in the Europa Champions League qualifiers, making him one of Villarreal’s key players.
In conclusion, the impressive performances of Nigerian strikers in the top five leagues in Europe is a positive development for Nigerian football. The likes of Victor Osimhen, Terem Moffi, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Samuel Chukwueze are playing a key role in their respective clubs and helping to raise the profile of Nigerian football on the global stage. Honourable mentions must be made of other players of the national team such as Ademola Lookman of Atalanta, Alex Iwobi of Everton, Moses Simon of Nantes, Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester and, although he is outside Europe, Odion Ighalo of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. As we look ahead to the future of Nigerian football, it is clear that these players, and others like them, will play a vital role in the success of the Super Eagles. If they can maintain their current form and continue to improve, while transitioning between club and country, there is every reason to believe that Nigerian football can achieve great things in the years to come.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
