Leicester City of England attacker, Kelechi Iheanacho has stepped up his efforts in training with the Super Eagles, as he seeks a possible starting shirt in Saturday’s friendly against Zimbabwe, for which Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze are also on fire ahead of.
Iheanacho has been out of favour since dropping form and losing his spot with Leicester, which saw him not invited for the Eagles’ last two games in Asaba, but the former Manchester City of England youngster appears to be taking the bull by the horn, as he faces to ignominy of missing out of Nigeria’s final squad list to the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
While Iheanacho is struggling for form and desperate not to miss out on the squad to AFCON 2019, Osimhen and Chukwueze look like sure bets to make the cut, considering their massive impacts at club level and status as two of the most promising lads in the current Eagles’ set up.
Osimhen was on fire in only his first season on loan from VfL Wolfsburg of Germany to Sporting Charleroi of Belgium, where he ended up as player of the season and promptly got signed to a permanent deal.
Similarly, Osimhen’s fellow-Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup revelation, Chukwueze also made the best of his debut campaign with Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga.
With the Eagles’ China-based top scorer, Odion Jude Ighalo obviously out of contention to play against Zimbabwe on Saturday, the role of Nigeria’s arrow head in that game is up for grabs.
That has left Iheanacho and Osimhen in pole position to step in ahead of Denmark-based rookie, Paul Onuachu, while Chukwueze should line out down the flanks as usual.
A report by owngoalnigeria.com stated in part: “Osimhen has carried his form from Belgium to the camp of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
“In training sessions the team have had so far, the forward maintained his sharp level, which is the highest among the strikers in the camp.
“(For) Samuel Chukwueze, no way is he not going to make the squad for AFCON 2019.
“He was not just sharp and lively but also very decisive with the ball at his feet.
“Another side of his game he appears to have worked on is defending as he won so many balls for his team.
“Many criticised (Kelechi Iheanacho’s) inclusion in the squad of players for the tournament, no thanks to his poor form and lack of game time at English Premier League side, Leicester City.
“That appears to have zero effect on his performance, as he was very clinical during the shooting drills.
“(He was also good) in the 5-a-side game they played. He scored with almost all of his efforts.”
