Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi netted his sixth goal of the season in seven matches when Royal Excel Mouscron played out a 1-1 draw with Standard Liege in a Belgian league match on Friday, Completesports.com reports.
One of the most in-form strikers on planet earth at this very point, Awoniyi grabbed a goal for Mouscron in the 60th minute to make the scores 1-1.
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He has taken the Belgian First Division A by storm ever since he had a re-union with Mouscron in January, having previously left for Genk where he failed to shine.
But since returning to Mouscron last month, Les Hurlus have won six of seven games the 21-year-old has played with the Liverpool loanee directly contributing to 8 goals (6 goals, 2 assists).
By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
18 Comments
This guy deserves a call-up to the Super Eagles. His consistency cannot be ignored
Nice one Awoniyi.Will be surprise if you don’t get an invite for our next internationals.
He is on fire
Taiwo Awoniyi is by record, the most in-form Nigerian stricker over the past two months or thereabouts. And Belgian league where he plays is not a pushover- actually among the best eight leagues in Europe – maybe in the world. If this guy is not invited for Super Eagles next set of matches (the inconsequential AFCON Qualifier against Seychelles and the friendly game with Egypt), then our coaches will not only be guilty of not giving opportunities to our best legs, but also potentially demoralising a rising young star.
i know he is good, but to replace who?? well maybe success.
Maybe Ighalo he’s that good
It’s not about who Awoniyi is going to replace. That question can only be answered when he’s been invited to prove himself in the National team. Presently he’s doing better than some Super Eagles strikers are doing in their clubs. It’s only logical that he be invited alongside other players to fight for shirt in the team. It’s only when the team list is announced that one can say who replaced who.
You guys needs to stop saying to replace who. The guy can replace iheanacho.precise we need two or one more additional strikers.Ighalo can’t continue to be our only option.
@ Oluwa, Success has never been an integral part of the SE. He was invited for the coach to take a look at him.
The person Awoniyi is likely to replace is Iheanacho.
Of course, I know Iheanacho and Success are ‘good’ players (according to their die hard fans), but they are presently not performing! And we cannot take them to the AFCON based on their potential for the future or based on what they have done for this nation in the past, etc.
I am eager to see how Mr. Rohr will react to the form of Awoniyi. Is he going to invite him only to leave him on the bench until it is five minutes to the end of the game? Let us wait and see!
Who can Awoniyi displace in the Super Eagles?
2013 Under-17 football ace Taiwo Awoniyi, whose 7 goals in the last 8 games can only be described as a jaw-dropping form, is knocking hard at door of the Super Eagles, waiting for an answer but will that door open? Crucially, will it open for him to feature in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations?
Often likened to the legendary Rashidi Yekini (a premature assessment in my view), who can Awoniyi conceivably displace in the present Super Eagles set up?
Let’s assume that only 7 forwards (wingers/strikers/support strikers) will be registered to go to the 2019 Afcon (and they are all injury-free) what are the chances of Awoniyi displacing the following player?
1. Ighalo: No way Awoniyi will displace a fit Ighalo as he is the de facto centre forward for the team. Also, he is also joint scorer in Afcon qualifiers with 6 goals.
2. Musa: No way Awoniyi can displace Nigeria’s record goal scorer at the world cup. When it comes to raw pace, Musa is currently second only to none in Africa. When it comes to goals, just ask Iceland or Argentina fans, they will tell you.
3. Moses Simon: Rohr has been working with Simon since he resumed his role as coach. Simon knows and buys into Rohr’s methods and philosophy. As a winger, I don’t see Awoniyi displacing a fit Moses Simon (who has scored 1 goal for every 5 games he played for Nigeria).
4. Alex Iwobi: Iwobi (if registered as one of the forwards) is a mainstay of the Super Eagles team and undeniably the most gifted Nigerian player available at the moment. Awoniyi has no chance of displacing a fit Iwobi.
5. Henry Onyekuru: Henry has been working with Rohr prior to the 2018 world cup and could have been shortlisted for the tournament but for injury. There is a perception that his best is yet to be unleashed for the Super Eagles, hence it will not be a good idea to drop him for Awoniyi now!
6. Kelechi Iheanacho: You get the feeling that Rohr wants to achieve, with Iheanacho, the same spectacular turnaround that he achieved with Ighalo by turning the Leicester City forward from public enemy number one to national hero. That aside, how can you drop a striker that has scored 1 goal per 3 Super Eagles games for Awoniyi who often fails to find his feet in more reputable clubs!
7. Victor Oshimen: One of the worst kept secrets in Nigerian football is that Rohr has a soft spot for Oshimen. That aside, the German tactician has worked with this budding Super Eagles striker and has invested a lot of faith in him. I will be shocked to see Oshimen, who is also have a pretty good season by the way, dropped for Awoniyi.
Now, I also struggle to the following potential forwards dropped for Awoniyi:
1. Samuel Kalu: Already a mainstay and sure-banker starting 11 Super Eagle.
2. Samuel Chukwueze: In my views, offers more in the way of pace, trickery and X-factor than Awoniyi.
The other Rohr-strikers I left out are:
1) Isacc Success: It is no secret that Rohr values Success’ style of play and has worked with him for leading up to the Afcon. The Watford man is also have a consistent-playing season in England. It will be hard to see Awoniyi displacing a fit Isaac Success.
2) Victor Moses: If Victor Moses should rescind his resignation, he is going to the Afcon (if fit) full stop! Amaju Pinnick will not spend all that time luring Moses back only for the coach to drop him for Awoniyi!!
@deo.As good as your analysis sound,does not prove anything or define super eagles roster.Rosters are not made by pen but prove of abilities.If Awoniyi takes his club form to the super eagles he will join the party to the land of the pyramids.
@Greenturf, you are absolutely right. My right-up doesn’t mean anything ; it’s just my point of view.
By the way, I am a huge fan of Taiwo Awoniyi and I pray he gets his chance in the national team.
Good Analysis, Deo! But you can’t ignore an in-inform player without giving him a chance to prove himself. Who says you can’t drop a good player who has loss form, for another good player who is at the top of his game.
What if any of the so called established players suffer a drastic loss of form or even injury (God forbid) before the tournament? If not for anything, Awoniyi should be invited to start integrating into the team.
Hey Aleks thanks bro.
It gladdens my heart every time I read about Awoniyi’s exploits in Belgium.
I do hope he gets invited to show what he brings to the party in the dead rubber Afcon qualifier against Seychelles on March 22.
The planned friendly against Egypt on March 26 is another match he can be considered for. It will the the perfect platform to gate-crash the Afcon party if he plays well.
You see, International football is not easy.
Jonathan Akpoborie, 50 yrs old, will tell you that he struggled to replicate his club form for country hence his stunted Super Eagles career.
Mario Jardel 45 yrs (Brazil), Andy Cole 47 yrs (England) and Matt Le Tissier 50 yrs (England), like Akpoborie, are (ex) players that failed to replicate blistering club forms for their countries when they were given the opportunities.
I am happy for Taiwo Awoniyi and sincerely prays he gets invited to the Super Eagles.
But, how well he will perform if he gets the chance, we will have to wait and see……
Until then, any comparison with him and the Late Great Yekini is premature at best.
Yes, club form does not guarantee that anyone will perform at the national level.
Awoniyi “failed” at Gent, but in his own words, RE Mouscron is a team where everyone works together and as such he is not surprised that he is performing well.
The players know his strengths and they know how he likes his balls to be played to him.
Now this does not guarantee that he will be successful with the SE, however, a call up is surely nailed on to see how he can fit in. And yes, the game against Egypt is the right place to test his reaction and how he will get in in the national Jersey.
My deal 4 strikers in a squad of 23 are at this time, Ighalo, Onyekuru, Osimhen and Awoniyi. Of course this can change as a week is a long time in football.
I know for a fact that Rohr will not leave out our English based players if they’re all fit. Success Iheanacho Ndidi Iwobi Mikel Etebo Ajayi if not injured will all be on the plane to Egypt. Awoniyi and Osimhen will also be invited and it’s up to them to displace the already established SuperEagles players.
Even though some fans have already replaced a certain player for the other. However, they quickly forget that they will have to displace each other first. I’m fascinated with Awoniyi’s form so far, but both he and Osimhen will first have to displace Success and Iheanacho on the international stage.