Super Eagles striker Simy Nwankwo scored his 14th league goal in Serie B for Crotone who pipped Ascoli 3-0 in the final game of the season on Saturday reports Completesports.com.
The 27 year old scored in the 40th minute to hand his side a 1-0 lead into the break.
The goal was Simy’s second against Ascoli this season. He scored in Crotone’s 3-2 loss in the reverse fixture played on the 30th of December, 2018.
Stefano Pettinari doubled Crotone’s lead three minutes into the second half before Ahmad Benali bagged the third goal in the 57th minute of the win.
The win moves Crotone four points clear of the relegation zone.
They are now 12th in the Serie B log with 43 points from 36 games.
Nwankwo finished seventh in the top scorer chart in the Italian Serie B.
The forward will be hopeful of making Nigeria’s squad to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
At the Comunale Via De Mare stadium, Nigerian forward David Okereke came for Emmanuel Gyasi in the 62nd minute in Spezia’s 2-1 loss to Lecce.
Okereke who has scored ten goals in the Serie B has made 30 appearances for Spezia.
Spezia finished seventh in the log and will face sixth placed Hellas Verona in the promotional playoff quarter-final clash on the 17th of May, 2019.
By Johnny Edward
6 Comments
This guy will be in our squad to Egypt…..hands up anyone who wants to take a bet…?
A division 2 player ? I prefer Anthony Nwakaeme.
What playing has playing in a lower division got to do with someone’s chances of getting a shirt in the national team? Etebo and Mikel play in the second division but they both get a slot in the national team. This guy really needs to be given a chance to prove his mettle. Not really happy with how he was treated at the world cup.
Bro….The last time I checked, the likes of mikel, collins, Ajayi, Uzoho were division 2 players. And the Italian serie B would be more competitive than the Danish or Saudi Arabian 1st division.
I’ll rather have strikers banging in goals in serie B every weekend than have EPL strikers who have scored only 1 league goal the entire season in our AFCON squad.
Dr Drey,Just over a week ago (link below), I named him as my second choice striker to Ighalo (link below).
However, the dominant narrative at the time was that Rohr had already made up his mind and Simmy has no place.
Like you, I think Simmy’s boiling hot form towards the end of the season has ensured that he simply cannot be ignored by the Super Eagles handlers.
But, has his rich vein of form come too late for Afcon consideration?
https://www.completesports.com/ighalo-hits-goal-no-7-as-shanghai-shenhua-suffer-defeat/#comments
I share your line of view @ Deo.
African football is no tea party. AFCON is never for the faint hearted. Its just that European football has gradually phased out the traditional no 9s, like we used to have before the turn of the millennium. But even at that, Simy remains the only one of the lot who can give us that drogba-esque style of play, going into a competition like AFCON, where its going to be more of brawn than brains – as it is customary with most African competitions.
In the few matches Simy has played for the eagles on African soil, and against African opposition, he has given a good account of himself, giving us a superior aerial advantage especially in the penalty box, this in addition to his goal scoring ability. Though some might argue that Onuachu provides same, but for a striker who has averaged 1 goal in every 3 matches in the cantanacio styled Italian setting, consistently for the last 3 years, attending the afcon party with him on our bus will certainly not be being over-dressed for the occasion.
We have an avalanche of fast, sleeky, silky and intelligent wingers currently who can provide service into the opposition box with reckless abandon…..we need foxes in the box who can latch unto these chances to make them count for us. At times when oppositions will prefer to sit back, pack the bus, and deny us space on the ground, the likes of Simy will come in handy in helping us keep things going in the air. While Osimhen and Ighalo produce the goods better with the ball on the turf, Simy and Paul will bail us out with a profound aerial presence…really… I wouldnt mind Simy and Paul being 2 of a 4 striking quartet going into the AFCON.