Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World cup qualifiers, former Nigerian midfielder, Henry Nwosu has urged the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr not to overlook Simy Nwankwo from the list of players that will be invited to the senior national team.
Simy, who has been painting the Serie A with goals, at the weekend, equaled compatriot, Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s ten-year-old record of the most goals scored by a Nigerian in Europe’s top five leagues – English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Série A, Ligue A.
Saturday’s effort means Simy has now scored at least a goal in his last seven appearances in the Italian top-flight. In all, he has netted 17 goals in 31 appearances for Crotone this season.
The former Gil Vicente forward was omitted in Rohr’s 24-man list from the just concluded 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifiers, where the team defeated Benin and Lesotho respectively.
In a chat with Completesports.com, Nwosu insisted that Simy’s inclusion to the Super Eagles will further create competition in the attacking position.
“I simply believe the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr should give Simy Nwankwo another chance to prove his worth in the senior national team.
“His inclusion will certainly create more competition in the attacking position of the team and also add more value to the team. He’s a player that can add more aerial threat if well utilized.
“We’ve seen him play before in the Super Eagles and his goal-scoring form in the colours of Crotone in the Serie A should not be overlooked. He deserved a place in the Super Eagles ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.”
By Augustine Akhilomen
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COMMENTS
Highest goal scorer for crotone Italy seria b league. Most likely end as the 3rd on the list of best scorer in seria A. Behind 1.Ronaldo 2.lukaku.3.Simmy.maybe something is wrong somewhere if not called to camp. Again umar Sadiq. Moffi are there scoring with ease. While some players in the team are looking tired on the field.even in their clubs performances.yet they are always invited.
Three strikers were invited to the last round of qualifiers: Victor Osimhen – highest goal scorer in AFCON 2022 qualifiers and critical to the Eagles mobile forward line, Kelechi Iheanacho – 15 goals in the Premier league, and Paul Onuachu – 27 goals in Belgium.
Please which of them looked tired during the matches you watched and hence did not deserve invitation for the matches.
…..15 Goals in League and Cup sorry.
You don’t know that guy, he is a local agent
Local agent indeed. Call my noba in aspergulf academy +971556038406 . Watch the matches again look at the strength of finishing of game per ur mid men. Going forward. Tell ur coach to invite all players performing . Team A shudd ve best attack with weak defence and Team B shud have weak attack with strong defence. To get his 1st eleven for a game not the normal process he does a day to a match. And tell him he shud get iwalla to bordeaux in France league 1. Ok
Too many options to pick from, especially in the strikers position. I just watched moffi’s two goals against Marseille, very classy goals. The young man is really getting more and more confident in his role. Then there is simy and sadiq.
Not enough space for every one especially as the ones already in the team are doing very well.
But its good to know that should there be any need for a striker in the team, that we have more than enough personnel to fill the position.
He deserves invitation
Our strikers are all doing well presently..
Moffi and simy deserve invitation for our next matches but sadly all can’t be invited, maybe simy would be added to the next list.
I feel for sadiq, No-one is talking about him anymore.. Afcon and world cup proper is all for year next.. Time isn’t on his side
Super Eagles have good strikers doing well with their clubs,Now Mr Rohr have to analyse and study these players strength,weakness and pick the best without sentiments.
I don’t envy Rohr right now ………..omo see headache. too many strikers on in form
Oga Rohr can’t deny Simy, Dessers and Onuachu. Sodiq also. If he doesn’t call them, we the patriotic Nigerians have to step in. Shikena. God bless Nigeria!!!
@Omo9ja
U and who plz ?
Step in and do what ?
For how many slots oga
As in ehn! Guy u.no d tire to post rubbish …
Tnx for making me laugh in Chinese
@omo9ja, step in to do what?! You listed four strikers for heaven’s sake. Four! for a slot that at most contain three. Your post is unbelievable!
Wait, lemme get you straight, if you were the Gaffer you would drop osimhen and iheanacho. For a desser that have not started a game in like how long now? Heck, even Ik ugbo had scored over times two (×2) more than Desser, and yet nobody’s talking about him. And here you are talking about Desser, who have not scored up to six goals compared to Ugbo which is 16. Is desser a good striker? of course, no doubt. But let him get regular play first and let him be scoring. We have so many good strikers there’s no time for test and run.
“step in” ha! don’t let me laugh
Normally for every squad announcement we have only 3slots at most for centre forward position… the reason I keep saying we should not be naming Iheanacho as part of those three is because of the tightness of the position… We have lots of good scoring traditional centre forwards… Iheanacho should be named to midfield position as an attacking midfielder,that does not mean we cannot deploy him tomorrow as an arrowhead if need be. He is a ball player with a excellent first touch and sharp passes, he hits the ball to direction and target very well… It is increasingly getting clearer that even Rohr does not see Iwobi as a number 10. Iwobi scores sometimes, but unlike Iheanacho you cannot depend on him for goals count… Iwobi could play in midfield no doubt but I think Nigerians are almost convinced he is not that talismanic catalyst we are looking for… hence the loud calls one time for Eze, then Ejaria, then the frenzy with Aribo and now the hype with Olise… So a great section of fans have come to conclude, Iwobi will need to battle other Wingers whether left or right for a stay-in. That said… if we name Osimhen as the lead striker, Onuachu follows (I think Paul has proven enough that he can do the job)… So if two slots of centre forward is already taken… it leaves Simy, Sadiq, Moffi and now Ugbo for consideration for the last slot as those who have performed this season. Of this last quartet, Simy and Moffi play in top 5 league (@Dr.Drey uncompromising criterion… Lol) and then Sadiq plays Segunda Liga which most of us will want to believe rates almost equal to Jupiler Liga where Ike Ugbo plays… So going by performance and league standing, Simy is suppose to come in as the third Striker after Osimhen and Onuachu speaking objectively… even though both Sadiq and Ugbo are class players… I believe they will and should get their chances at some point. Now… there is still no breather for Coach Gernot Rohr with the good headache with our striking options… even though most coaches won’t envy his position with such a dilemma who to callup and who not to. Eintracht Frankfurt is talking Ugbo, Seville and Bayern Munich are talking Sadiq and Dortmund is talking Moffi… If all these guys get great transfers and Onuachu gets to Ligue 1(Say Lyon) or Serie A, say AC Milan, and Simy gets to a better Seria team(say Genoa, Udinese or Lazio… those are the clubs credited with interest so far) and begin to all do well and plunder goals again as they have proven this season… then that’s when Rohr will have real frustratingly beautiful headache… In my opinion, with the level of talents turning up for Nigeria… the national team can no longer be cast for any set of favorite players… we should start getting prepared to accept that some players even though our favorites will only have to come into to the fold in the future purely based on current stats and form. Once we have so many players doing their business at the same level, it has to come down to only form and your stats from your club and league… this should never be set aside for sentiments based on any past or previous achievements… We have to agree that this is just how the first nations in football do it. In the last round of games for England… even Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho, Abraham were not called up… not to mention names like Dele Alli who until the not-too-distant past were the first names on Southgate’s list any day. In my opinion for now… putting last season and this season side by side… Simy should be coming in as number 3 striker for the now. Sadiq, Moffi or Ugbo isn’t too far off, especially Sadiq… and in no less a mention Ugbo and Moffi too. Once Almeria Concludes the season and Sadiq makes a new switch to a laliga team, or even Bundesliga, then the choice of the number 3 striker should be a matter of choice for the gaffer if they both Continue to perform… but we must have a chance to see Simy again in the colors of Nigeria and likewise Sadiq. Ike Ugbo and Terem Moffi are still very young and could show us again next week if they still merit our mentions… they need to prove again that this season is no fluke by maintain decent returns next season wherever they may be playing. We have already seen that consistency from Simy and Sadiq.
… My mistake! Meant to say Ike Ugbo and Terem Moffi needs to show us again, next season that they can still do the business! Not… *next week*
Just want to know the reason for selecting Paul Onuachu first before Simmy Nwankwo ?.
Well written @JimmyBall