Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr is hopeful Victor Osimhen will be fit for next month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Benin and Lesotho.
Osimhen was knocked unconscious during the final minutes of Napoli’s 4-2 away defeat to Atalanta on Sunday.
The 22-year-old was stretchered off the pitch and rushed to the hospital after hitting his head on the ground, following a collision with Atalanta defender Cristian Romero.
Napoli announced on Tuesday that the striker will rest for a period of few days before gradually returning to training.
Read Also: Napoli Provide Positive Update On Osimhen
Rohr, who is expected to name him in his squad for next month’s crucial final two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, is hopeful he will return to action soon.
“I spoke to Victor, he told me he’s physically and mentally okay now but must wait for the club doctors,” Rohr told bbc.com.
“My thoughts are with him because he’s had some difficult start in Italy, but he’s a strong boy and he must wait for the doctors to clear him to play again.
“He’s an important player for us and we’ll see how it goes at his club first, because his well-being is very important for everyone.”
17 Comments
make una leave this to settle down well in his club, na so Breal dey do, Nwaoo
I don’t think this news can be true but if yes, then I’m speechless.
I don’t think Osimhen should be included in the squad yet.
We have other strikers and I believe Oga Rohr won’t try it.
The list will be out soon. Let’s wait and see. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
You’ll be shock to see musa,chukwueze and oshimen on that list, infact musa will start the game and play up 80mins .una never know this man.him and Berti vote na the same.
Gernot Rohr should leave out Osimhen this time around. The guy is having a difficult mental and physical introduction to Italian football.
I would rather Osimhen is left out of our next qualifier so he can rest properly during the international break.I understand he’s a very important member of the squad and the coach is not taking any chances towards qualification.
However,I believe we have enough depth in our squad to at least wrestle three points out of a possible six from Benin and Lesotho respectively without Osimhem playing any part.
Common it can’t be that bad.
Anyways,I am wishing the young lad a quick return to the pitch with Napoli and also better fortunes.
This is why some people keep criticising the gaffer because he refuses to have contingency plan even with the obvious that Osimhen is facing lots of pressure and storms in his career at the moment yet he is not willing to give other strikers a level playing field to justify their inclusion and by so doing there wouldn’t be any succession planning program in place to nurture other strikers that are capable of being dark horses in the super eagles team building process and this is quite an unfortunate development if the news is anything to go by
Players like musa, chukwueze and Osimhen should be left out of the list. To redisover their form and sort out their club issues. There are so many players we can invite in their absence. Olayinka, desser, dennis etc are all fit and can take their place if only to occupy the bench, while players like simon, iwobi, onuachu/moffi/iheanacho can start upfront. Report has it that we JUST need a point to scale through, so why invite players with issues when you can use players who are ready to go with no issues. The coach should be careful and make the right decision for the players and the team.
People fail to understand players regain confidence when they play and score goals..
Oshihem needs those games more than Nigerian needs him..
Imagine he scores an hat trick in both games, do you know what that does to a players confidence..
If he can play and he is fit, why not invite him.. He rested for close to 2 months and you advocate for more rest. He knows how bad it will affect his career, he such could happen
But players needs to be fit to play for the national team.Like you rightly said,if he’s fit but it doesn’t look like it at the moment i’m afraid.Gattuso said it would take sometime before he regains his sharpness!
African football is very physical and he is playing with a strap to his shoulder i’m only worried for the youngfella we love him and his future is more important to his career and Nigeria besides it’s a great opportunity to see a few of the emerging strikers especially in a match situation.
The sharpness oshimen needs comes with him playing games.. Match fitness is very important for every player.. Oshomen has not played so many games this year, he has rested more than him playing games so for him rest further when it is not a measure to avoid injuries or further health issues then such rest is harmful and unnecessary for his career..
Unless he is injured and cannot play, if not why not invite this boy. If he can play in Italian league with physical defenders with or without shoulder what ever he can also play in Africa.. Oshimen needs this game more than our team needs him.. He needs to score goals for his confidence level.. If he comes and score an hat trick in Benin Republic, he will be going back to Italy on fire and the goals will come again for him for his club
Thank you Ololo. I am in total agreement with you. Osimene needs these games more than nigeria needs him. God willing, he comes and score, then he gets into that chemistry of scoring again. God bless Osimenegoals and all other deserving SE players.
When you read some comments you will know those who really know about the game or not, they think leaving Osimen out will help him, very funny
Some of the guys commenting here are being very narrow in arguments… Osimhen does not need to participate in the forth-coming games versus Lesotho and Benin Republic. What he needs is rest for his body as much as his mind to focus and spark him into performance again… that will also bring back his consciousness to that optimal level he knows he can perform. He needs to be around his club now more than traveling back home to play in games that we have more than enough personnel in his leave to prosecute. Some of us here do not know the pressure that goes with expectation especially in high-end stakes like football… I bet some of us know the level of hate and jealousy that comes with being a foreigner in a very traditional country like Italy with a tag of one of the most expensive players in modern day football… if we want to help osimhen now, all we need to accept is allow him focus on his club till such an approriate time when the nations cup allows players from clubs to regroup… I hate to say it but what if he comes and pull a shoulder again or some other fresh injury(God forbid)… it is then we will see the callousness of NFF as the young man will just be left to his club to cater for him… Let nobody tell us we cannot prosecute those games without Victor Osimhen. If I were the coach, I will also leave out Samuel Chukwueze and Captain Ahmed Musa! The decisions Coach Rohr makes in the coming days will tell us alot about is belief in the rest of the personnel we can draw from and his overall management craft as he continues as our overseer!
Na you sabi football. A beg chop knuckle. People wey never kick Agbalumo in their lives will come here to spew garbage. Osimhen needs to be left out of March qualifiers as a goodwill gesture and to help him focus on getting his season up and running. Yes
It is common sense. We need more people like you here.
If Osimene is fit and happy to come, I am in full support, for ROHR to invite him. We must be wise and not play into the hands of evil people, codedly schemimg to have his place taking over by their self promoting players. That could just be what this whole Osimenegoals saga has being from day one. May all such schemes against OSIMENEGOALLLLLLLLS AND ALL OTHER DESERVING SE PLAYERS CONTINUE TO FAIL, FAIL AND FOREVER FAIL IN JESUS CHRIST NAME. The doctor in Italy have already declared OSIMENEGOALLLLLLS to be fine, only needing rest into early week of march to be ready to go. Then why sideline him if he himself is willing? This has got nothing to do with Rohr being desperate but everything to do with helping Osimenegoallls regain his confidence.
This is why the Ronaldos and co always prospers, leave victor out of the game, infact all qualifiers so he can concentrate on his club football and rest. Let other credible players play.
Leave the young man out of this for now, for God’s sake. Una wan kill am? Shudder dislocated, covet 19, and feinted on the field of play, waitin!. There is a limit to human endurance.