Two Nigerian players named ‘Victor’ have been cited as major threats Leicester City of England will have to watch out for in the UEFA Europa League this season, megasportsarena.com reports.
While Leicester will flaunt the skills and quality of their Nigerian trio of Wilfred Onyinyen Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and new summer signing, Ademola Lookman in their ranks, The Foxes will have to be wary of Victor Moses and Victor Osimhen.
This is the verdict of European football expert, Chris Parrott, who reckoned that Osimhen will be the lad to watch against Leicester when the 2016 English Premier League champions begin their Europa League campaign against SSC Napoli of Italy next Thursday, September 16.
The next Nigerian threat will be former Super Eagles’ winger, Victor Moses, who will be up against The Foxes when they face Spartak Moscow of Russia on October 20, ahead of which Parrott warned that Iheanacho, Ndidi, Lookman and their pals will have to be very cautious.
Leicester, who are set to compete for the second straight season in the second-tier European clubs’ competition, will tango Spartak, Napoli and Legia Warsaw of Poland in Group C, ahead of which Parrott cited the EPL experience that makes Moses a huge threat to fear.
Moses starred during his time in England with Crystal Palace, Wigan Athletic, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham United and Stoke City, before enjoying loan stint at Fernebahce of Turkey and Inter Milan of Italy, then turning a similar deal with Spartak into a full contract this summer.
His favourite competition has, coincidentally, been the Europa League, in terms of minutes-per-goal ratio, having averaged a goal every 216 minutes, and he was one of Chelsea’s key players when they won the competition in 2013.
A similar fearsome scorecard was cited for Osimhen, who Parrott named among key players in Napoli’s side coached by former Zenit Saint Petersburg of Russia as well as ex-AS Roma and Inter Milan of Italy tactician, Luciano Spalletti.
Osimhen became Napoli’s most expensive purchase in history when he arrived from Lille Metropole of France last summer for €70m and, during his eight appearances in European club competitions, three were in last season’s Europa League.
Parrott stated: “(Napoli) have the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, who was so important to Italy winning EURO 2020.
“They have Kalidou Koulibaly as well. They have young Victor Osimhen, who they paid a lot of money for from Lille 12 months ago.
“(Spartak) have a Portuguese manager in charge in Rui Vitória. They have Victor Moses, who has Premier League experience, too.
“They are, squad-wise and finance-wise, a little behind Zenit Saint Petersburg, who are in the Champions League this year.”
