Crotone manager Giovanni Stroppa has heaped plaudits on Simy Nwankwo after the Nigerian netted a hat-trick in Friday’s 3-0 home win against Benevento, reports Completesports.com.
Nwankwo goals secured the Pythagoreans’ first win since the restart of Serie B after three consecutive draws.
The 28-year-old scored twice in the opening 20 minutes and fired home the third goal in the 70th minute.
He was later replaced by Samuel Armenteros nine minutes from time.
“I think he [Simy] could count this so much as a test, given his physicality, he probably did more for the team than others,” Stroppa told the media after the match.
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“In this game, beyond the goals, he put in place an important performance in both halves, both in the offensive and in the defensive. I believe that in general, the whole team worked very well and the result repays us for the work done.
“Certainly, the last three games before this shout revenge for the final result [because] we have thrown away several points. The team is doing well from a physical point of view. They have returned to playing a certain type of football also carrying out an athletic race with a certain rhythm.
“Too bad not having scored points in the last few matches. This victory leads us to be still [second] in the ranking and this time we will do everything to maintain this position.”
Nwankwo has scored 16 goals in 31 league appearances for Crotone this season.
Crotone remain in second position on the log with 55 points from 32 games.
Stroppa’s men look well placed to secure a return to Serie A after two-season absence from the top flight.
By Adeboye Amosu
16 Comments
This lad is sending a strong message to Rhor with his consistency over the season.
Yes indeed. The few times he was used, I thought he did well. His hold up play was really good.
Considering that we have so many quality options in the striking position, all Simy can do now is keep performing consistently. Hopefully, he will get another chance.
This guy deserves Super Eagles ahead of Onuachu and Umar based on Consistent form..No doubt but he’s like Coach Rohr doesn’t like him that much…I don’t know why! 16 goals in 31 games.. Impressive for me minus his assist o.
The few games he played for Nigeria, he didn’t receive the full confidence of the Coach to start. He played a fringe role most times. We saw how he gave his all against DRC in Calabar and was very unlucky not to have scored with one of his effort hitting the Bar. He uses his Height well, Controls ball well way better than that Mungo park Onuachu that can’t even trap! I just hope he gets a recall soon. Crotone is on there way back to the Serie A. It is also important to know that Serie B is not a moi-moi league oo! More competitive than the Serbian league to me.
Keep working hard Simy. Your time will surely come
The striking options is getting thicker and thicker. What may work against him and Nwakeme who has also scored much goals in Turkey, is their age. While Nneakeme is 31, Simmy is 28. Genet Rohr seems to prefer the younger ones, except with some exception. But never the less, if he continues in this form his chances are very high.
@Chairmanfemi, you are 100% correct. Do you agree with me now that coach Rohr needed an expert? Back in 2018 world cup in Russia against Argentina when super Eagles needed Iwobi and Simy, the manager decided not to introduced both of the players in time in that match not until few minutes of the match and Argentina carried the day.
We have good strikers no doubt but Super Eagles is way bigger than the coach himself. That is the main problem. You are beginning to see light Femi.
I hope some people will see light soon on this forum because they didn’t believe that coach Rohr is an average coach that can only manage to have a decent team but to win anything with the team will be an issue.
Even, if he have Messi and C.Ronald in his team, that is not going to solve the problem. This is an eye opener for those who understand the game of football.
Well, what do I know. The truth is better. God bless Nigeria!!!
Saying the truth is better than deceiving Nigerians. Simy, Onuachu and Sadiq can not functioning properly well because of Oga Rohr tactics.
Simy and Onuachu have failed under Oga Rohr while these two strikers are doing wonderfully well at their club sides.
People are clamoring for Sadiq now but forgetting that for any tall striker to excel in Oga Rohr’s team, the striker have to do a miraclelous work because our wingers don’t cross the ball over to the strikers in front of goal post for the strikers to score goals.
If you know you know. God bless Nigeria!!!
Guy dont you get tired of wailing? Rohr has extended his contract…do you want to keep wailing for 2 years…guy lock up and support Rohr
Me I don carry am come again o. Here is another young Nigerian tall striker that fits in in the Super Eagles team and his name is “Tolu Arokodare”.
Nobody have said a single word about this energetic striker and if Oga Rohr invited this Tolu into the Super Eagles tomorrow, they will called me Mr. Scouter, internet coach and so on.
Out of many players they have discovered or recommended to coach Rohr, none of them have called into the Super Eagles but me that working so hard scouting and discovering players for Nigeria, they called names.
Oh well, Oga Rohr please check the striker out.
We still have Adi available for the Super Eagles. He have what it takes to be in that team.
Also, Kayode is doing great presently. Ah, we have players. The Super Eagles problem is NFF.
But our coaches are wasting time to build us a solid team for our nation.
Chia, this Tolu i am talking about is similar to Dessers in style apart from his height.
We have fantastic players now. Come on Nigerians, we deserved better than what we are getting men. It is well. God bless Nigeria!!!
This guy what do you drink before coming here to throw names around sef…???
From Fanendo Adi to Fatai Alashe to Jelili Anibaba now it is Tolu Arokodare, you just keep slinging name of anybody you read about on the internet from backwater leagues, when we are still looking for space in the SE for top players in top rated leagues like Simy, Umar, Odey, Terem Moffi and the rest…?? Im sure the next name you will recommend is Fatai Onikeke…..LMAO
It is only foreign based players that you can read about on the internet you always “discover”, your numerous talents in Agege and Ajegunle who you claim are better than most of the SE players are very difficult for your to “discover”. Shior….! LMAO.
Bros help us ask which league is qualified to produce players for the super eagles, because players from Cyprus, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Israeli league are being scouted, so what makes them our superior to other less fancied leagues
Definitely another head ache for Gernot Rohr. Nigeria is truly blessed with talents.
Kelechi don score
Simy has been around for a while and has not taken his foot off the pedal for once in terms of goal scoring.
Time and time again he shown his goal scoring ability. The stats is there for all to see. While he may not enjoy patronage from Rohr given his age at 28 yet the Super Eagles playing style should be able enough to accommodate different shades of strikers when opportunity are given to them. During his time with SE it was obvious that the big centre forward struggled to adapt due to the team’s pattern of play which allow the wide them to enjoy ball possession and flair which many times starved the centre forward regular supply of ball thus leaving them isolated upfront and also made them feel frustrated. I recalled Ighalo suffered a bit of this after the exit of Emenike when he first joined the team with wide men like Victor Moses enjoying time on the ball leaving a bit isolated upfront.
Unlike the era of Rasheed Yekini where the wingers played to the strength of the strikers by providing supply of balls through the wings with precision of ball deliveries from Finidi George and Amunike and the supporting striker in the typical 4-4-2 formation, in the present and modern football with the usual diamond formation of 4-3-3, the wide men also doubles as strikers, bringing the balls from deep lying midfield through power, pace and dexterity to score goals themselves rather than serving it on the plate for the top striker to convert, like Ahmed Musa did to Iheanacho at the last world cup against Iceland.
If Rohr is to bring on a centre forward in the mould of Onuchu, then the pattern of play should be such as would be suitable to support him either from the wing play with men who would play to his strength aerially or midfield players with the requisite skill set to provide brilliant range of passes to find them at scoring position.
This is when the technical crew can be seen to have done the needful in giving playing opportunity to new strikers, especially big centre men in the mould of Simy and Paul Onuachu.
Rohr don collect bribe abi his agent who claims he has data of 400 Nigerians playing abroad, why is his search narrowed to certain league and specific players. Thats selfish.
@Omo9ja, just to prove that u have been scouting fire since the year of Moses of Israel, you extended your research to Latvian league? Chaii!
We have them in India, Vietnam too.
Toluwalase Emmanuel Arokodare. Plays for Valmieras in the Latvian league. Has some quality. Uses his size well.
In my opinion, he has a lot to prove, given the quality of the Latvian league. Having said that, an athlete can only defeat what is in front of him, and so far, he has done ok. If he wants to play for Nigeria, he has a tough road ahead. But it isn’t impossible. He just has to keep doing what he’s already doing, keep working hard and improving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZluX5LfDpw