Former Nigeria international, Etim Esin, has expressed concern over the continued failure of strikers, aside from Victor Osimhen, to deliver for the Super Eagles during international assignments and describes the situation as a worrisome one that requires urgent attention, Completesports.com reports.
The current Super Eagles squad boasts an array of strikers excelling at their respective clubs. However, many struggle to replicate their club form when called up to the Nigerian national team.
One such player is Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, who faced criticism for his underwhelming performances during matchdays 5 and 6 of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda. Boniface, with 11 caps for the Super Eagles, is yet to open his goal account.
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Similarly, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has managed just two goals in 10 appearances, while Southampton’s Paul Onuachu has scored three times in 24 outings. Terem Moffi has netted four goals in 18 games, and Umar Sadiq has only one goal in 12 appearances.
In stark contrast, Victor Osimhen, the reigning African Player of the Year, has scored 23 goals in 39 matches for the national team.
Osimhen missed the Super Eagles’ first four matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, during which the team scored four goals — courtesy of Semi Ajayi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Raphael Onyedika. Notably, during the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, Osimhen was the only striker to score, with the other goals coming from Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, and midfielder Dele-Bashiru.
In an exclusive interview with Completesports.com, Esin lamented the lack of consistency from the strikers and described their struggles as a troubling development.
“In any tournament, you must depend on your strikers to deliver. If we keep relying solely on Osimhen, it will get us nowhere,” the former midfielder said.
“Osimhen can only play his part. What happens if he gets injured? Does that mean we won’t score? It’s very worrying. A striker playing the number nine role must score consistently for his country—that’s the standard worldwide. You can’t play four games for your country without scoring a goal; it doesn’t make sense.”
Esin added: “Boniface, for instance, has been given numerous opportunities, but he still can’t score for Nigeria. This is becoming a major concern. Does it mean Eguavoen cannot rely on any other striker? Or are we saying that if Osimhen doesn’t score, then Nigeria won’t score?
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“I played alongside great strikers like the late Rashidi Yekini, Samson Siasia, and Richard Owubokiri. They delivered for both club and country. Boniface is prolific in Germany, but when it comes to Nigeria, he keeps missing chances. We need to address this issue before AFCON 2025; otherwise, we will have a big problem.”
Esin, a former Lokeren and Lierse player in Belgium, also suggested that the absence of a creative midfielder could be hindering the strikers’ performances.
“Another issue is the lack of a creative midfielder — a proper number 10 who can orchestrate plays, provide assists, and unsettle opposing teams,” the 58-year-old explained.
“That magic touch of players like Jay-Jay Okocha, Henry Nwosu, or even myself is missing. We don’t have naturally gifted playmakers anymore. Everyone is just average. For instance, people keep talking about Iwobi, but he can’t do half of what Okocha did. That comparison doesn’t hold water.
“Nowadays, teams face the Super Eagles without fear because we lack a player who can bring the stadium to life,” Esin concluded.
By James Agberebi
24 Comments
But, Esin, there’s currently no other real striker aside Osimhen. That’s aside Lookman who does his part so well as a supporting striker.
In fact, as hard as it is to admit, we’re in a precarious situation with our 2026 WCQ cos Osimhen, alongside Ekong, Lookman, and Simon were absent in all the games played so far.
Invariably we only have a first 11, but we don’t have a bench. When we played our bench against Rwanda last week, we lost at home.
Perhaps we should go back to Terem Mofi or try out Akor Adams as deputies.
Great idea , we should send an invitation to Peter Odemwingie as well, and while you’re at it don’t forget Brown Ideye, with these guys, the SE can have a kel blend on it and loose every single game they play with privilege – see as strikers full ground? Mumu guy.
@Kel… have you tried Chuba Akpom? Have you really given opportunity to Paul Onuachu who has never played up to 25minutes in recent times and whom we have seen is better than the Tiktoker Victor Boniface? If you don’t want Onuach… give Chuba Akpom and Cyriel Dessers opportunity… it is said Dessers miss too many chances before scoring… give Chuba Akpom, a proven goal scorer the chance to prove himself! Period…
No, not only Onuachu, why not invite Julius Aghahowa? You guys really need to brighten up and stop being so dull like the dullards that you are.
Exactly, @Jimmyball, Akpom, too. An Ajax striker is an asset to any national team. Same as Dessers, although he’s a bit slow and didn’t really convince in the last friendly he played for the SE/
Someone is clearly impersonating Greenturf on this thread.
You are a mumu man, so the reason you have for calling a player to the team is not at all based on their form or overall skillset but just based on the name of the team they play for right? Hmmm there really is no hope for some of you knuckleheads, and the worst part is that you lot are the ones who comment the most about our football yet know zilch about anything!
No wonder the elders used to say that Empty Barrels Make The Most Noise! You kel are a pure case in point. Complete mugu smh
Lol. I don laugh tire here. If you didn’t know, I don’t throw insults. Says a lot about your bitterness and anger issues if you cannot air your mind without getting into the gutters.
Oya, clap for yaself, attorney and judge at the same time. You have judged yourself the ‘smart’ one on your own and by yourself.
The same smarty pant like you will cry foul if the coach invites a player in the NPFL or another unknown league in Europe “based on their form or overall skillset” over an available players in a top club or league. Shebi you sabi draw conc;lusion based on a single instance!!! Correcr judge of his own self and case. Brilliant mind. You go fit stand me if me and you go into intellectual discourse?? Lol.
AnywayI can tell you’re a bitter soul looking for where to vent his anger issues, but you may like to know I stand by mer assertion, so you’ve only yarned DUST and SMOKE.
No, not only Onuachu, why not invite Julius Aghahowa? You guys really need to brighten up and stop being so dull like the dullards that you are.
You are not Greenturf. Stop impersonating people and causing wahala.
It’s not fun bro (or girl).
Bomboy or Bomgirl
How you know say I no be Greenturf? Abi they send you come?
Are you Greenturf? Or are you a boy or a girl with Bom as a prefix? If you look at the octagonal alignment of the parabolic possibility, you will realise that when it is raining the rain s also falling.
The problem is, our handlers including the coach prefer to stick with their boys. They don’t want to spend money and time for any papers regarding any player’s change of nationality. In the past, we’ve tried Awoniyi, we’ve tried Onuachu, we’ve tried Dessers, even Moffi but so far, Moffi is the closest but Dessers wasn’t given enough time.
Imagine since the time of Rohr, Dessers hasn’t been cap tied till date. We all know him as a slow starter in his club , assuming he was given enough time like other strikers, by now he would have scored more than two goals he’s having as a super Eagles striker.
We’ve had some players in the past that are national team players but do not perform well for club sides in the past may be this can work out for Players like Elijah Adebayo( Luton), Josh Maja, German Onugkha, Chuba Akpom ,Justin Njinmah, Arokodare etc May be we should also try something new in the midfield to stop the complaints of low or No service to the strikers from midfield.
We just need to add fresh players to beef up the squad that’s all.
yuh need fresh beef ne? oboy de ting cost money for 9ja dese days oo
if yuh de hung, y not try gari and salt? hu need spend money wen yuh fit dey collect money insted? pls leave story!
if wuna nor get anyyting wey mek sense to yan mek wuna dey try sharap! idiot!
yuh need fresh beef ne? oboy de ting cost money for 9ja dese days oo
if yuh de hung, y not try gari and salt? hu need spend money wen yuh fit dey collect money insted? pls leave story!
if wuna nor get anyyting wey mek sense to yan mek wuna dey try sharap! idiot!
I don’t know why they refuse to invite Chuba Akpom that guy can play as a striker or supporting striker.the likes of Awoniyi.Boniface.sadiq should not near super eagles camp for now.
patrick, how market na??
This problem has been lingering for a long time and the NFF have been so lethargy towards addressing it by giving new players in that role to stake a claim. It cant keep inviting same players year iaand n year out and expect something different. Boniface, Awoyini, Onuachu, Sadiq Umar have shown us what they have to Offer and its Obvious its not enough for SE set standards. We must give a chance to Desseers, Akorodare, Omorodion,Chuba Akpom , and Maja too . No one is more Nigerian than the Other. Its not about where one plays. Its about clicking with the way the SE plays . That all. Our best striker of all time Rashidi wasn’t horned in one of the Top five leagues but he was one of the most feared strikers in world football. Lets try even strikers in the NPL and other African leagues.Anyone who clicks so be it. I heard the Coach complaining that the problem could be due to lack of a play maker in the mould of JJ Okocha. Well empirical evidence round the world show that this is not true. Players like J.J. Okocha come once in a Decade. We may never have such a player again . Moreover football have evolved. We can still win the world cup without a naturally gited no 10. Argentina did it last world cup France did it the penultimate world cup. Spain just world the Europe’s without a no ten. In football today everyone is expecting to construct. We need a Coach who understands this ?
Honestly it is worrisome that we do not have a creative midfielder till date just because the coaches have refused to think or experiment to get it right, if i were these coaches i will try this guy from Sevilla EJUKE as a no 10 and manage him with instructions and if he can get and get good support he can dribble his way to create chances because he is gifted to hold the ball. the closest that no 10 role for now is that guy and if we can thing roundly we can experiment Ademola too but our problem our coaches are not ready to work and guide, they just want ready made and win.
We just need a good technical coach that can change players position to get what we want thats all
Those players always invited grease palms of local coaches… Players with knowledge of the Nigerian system grease palms of coaches but the foreign borns will not do that… that is why only few gets invited per time.
ees al about de brown envelops lmaaoo! nigreains is very curropt, unlike we ghanian who ees just wicked an jaeloust – between de twi of us, ees stii berrer to be curropt dan to be a dirty jaeloust bad belle mens lmaao
na wa o
They are all spoilt brats because of so much money they earn in their respective club sides.Infact,they do so well in their clubs and become a flop in the national team, e.g,Victor Boniface. Until we go back selecting players from the local clubs in the story will always remain the same.
Your last sentence I think was made in error. Local clubs whose players are well “young” in age without understanding the fundamentals of football? Let them explode first in CHAN some countries have won multiple times and we can’t even conquer WAFU B. No wonder nasarrawa united players are flooding our national teams lol. Keep incorporating them while building perpetually inconsistent national team
Many of the players who were involved in the double header against Algeria for Falcons are not playing against France on Saturday. Is that how a national team is steadily built?
Maybe you think other African nations are on pause and awaiting Nigeria to sneeze so that they will catch cold.
2025 is a defining year. AFCON (December), WAFCON (July), 2026 world cup qualifiers (for men from March), 2027 WWC qualifiers (for falcons from October).
Remember, we aren’t even having ambitions in any of our cadet teams anymore (supposed feeder groups for the senior teams).
Yet, other serious nations are steadily building their ships.
Gusau for second term will soon swallow up the news in 2025, I nearly forgot to balance the south-north rule. We never start.
Yes, players do have their share of blame, but you can’t keep shading these players alone. Same players doing well in their club sides!
What about the coaching? the system?
May ı remind everyone that these same boys got to the AFCON FİNAL just this year. So, what changed?
AS much as a player’s quality is important, you can never underestimate the pivotal role coaches play. At the long run, the coach’s system defines how good a player, and the team at large would succeed.
A good coach finds the system that is suitable to his players available or picks players that suits his/her system. Or else what is the point of a coach?
You need to understand your players to fashion a winnable system. You can never throw away how valuable tactics and in game reading of the game are.
Even players’ attitude toward games are determined on the managerial style of the coach.
I can stand on this any day, most of our current players are good and have the quality to succeed with the Eagles. We simply haven’t gotten it right with the coaching.
İt is no magic players like Boniface, Dessers, Iwobi etc. perform so well in their clubsides against top competitions yet falter in the Eagles’ jersey.
The truth is right in front of us, we can embrace it and make amends or keep gaslighting and continue retrogressing. The choice is ours.
Ifeanyi Mathews of FC Zurich is a great attacking midfielder for te Eagles.
okay den arara kumbie aka segun west and best lmaaoo!
kwasia!