Gone are those days in the Nigeria national team, when the number nine position was a keenly contested position, and also had great players whom couldn’t even lay claim to the starting eleven in the team due to the flocks of talents in that position, but the players were joy to watch in their various clubs in Europe and in the Nigeria League.
Chronologically looking at the abundant of Nigerian strikers spread all over Europe, few are consistent, while others hardly make the starting line-up for their respective clubs. The players in the review are all reliable strikers that the coach could put trust on, in case Super Eagle’s hottest property in Lille lower his guard, lose a form or got injured, the coach won’t be short of goal poachers who could deliver when called upon.
Today, we will be taking a look at four players that could possibly rival Osimhen for the number 9 spot.
Cyriel Dessers
Age: 25
Position: Forward
Club: Heracles Almelo
One thing that is very glaring to the eyes is that Nigeria born players are spread all across the World, critically the European Countries, and among them is Cyriel Dessers, born in Leuven Belgium to a Belgian father and a Nigerian mother.
Dessers started his career as a youth player in the 2013-14 season as a 19year old, with the reserves of Oud-Heverlee Leuven, Dessers stood out with his eyes for goals and his performance in the youth competitions for the team scoring over 20 goals.
At the brink of OH Leuven in danger of being relegated, and several first-team strikers either out of shape, injured or suspended, Dessers got his first opportunity to play for the first team in a 3-2 away loss against Mons.
Dessers also had a stint with Lokreen when he signed a two year deal with the team 2014. In July 2016 he signed with NAC Breda on a contract until summer 2019, a club in the Dutch second-tier Eerste Divisie.
The following season Dessers helped his team secure promotion to the Eredivisie, after a 1-4 victory over N.E.C, Dessers was on fire in that match as he went on to score 3 goals, and finished the season with 29 goals in 40 matches.
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That performance got Dessers a move to FC Utrecht, signed a three years contract with an option for an additional year, and went on to score the first goal in the competition. His outstanding performance for FC Utrecht was top-notch, and that got him a move to Heracles Almelo, and since then Dessers has been firing from all cylinders in the Eredivise.
He also helped his team Heracles Almelo to qualified for the third round of the TOTO KNVB Cup following their comprehensive and brilliant performance against Dordrecht in a match they won 3-0 on Wednesday.
Cyriel Dessers also won the Dutch Eredivisie Player of the Month award for the month of November, hasn’t shunned out great performance against his team opponents and also doing great in the League.
So far this season, the Belgian born forward now has a hand in 20 goals, with 14 goals, and 6 assists in 19 appearances across all competitions this season, a performance which is a testament to the fact if he gets the opportunity to don Green White Jersey he would prove his worth and also be very decisive in front of goal for the National Team.
The forward did say in his statement that “He already been contacted by the NFF, after his match against ADO Den Haag, he said an official from Nigeria sent him a message that he was doing well,”
If the forward statement were anything to go by, then it shows if, given the opportunity, he would gladly grab it with both hands.
However, it’s left to be seen how things would unfold, but then Cyriel Dessers has shown beyond doubt that he could rival Victor Osimhen if he lowers his guard.
Peter Olayinka
Age: 24
Position: Forward
Club: Slavia Prague
The Nigerian forward Olayinka who currently plies his trade with Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic, his also one of the players that could rival Victor Osimhen for the number nine position.
Olayinka has shown he can deliver on the big stage in the world of football, case in point was his top-notch performance against Barcelona and securing a win for his team against Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Peter Olayinka did had stint with various clubs in Europe, among those clubs are Skenderbau, where he played 33 matches in all competitions and he scored 16 goals in 2014-16, played for KAA Gent in 2016-18, but he didn’t find joy while playing for the Belgian side, which led to a loan move for him to Dukla Prague, played 29 matches, in 2017-18, he also went on loan to Zulte Waregem, played 35 matches in all competitions.
In 2018 Slavia Prague signed Olayinka on a four-year contract from KAA Gent in a deal that worth €3,200,000. Since he joined Červenobílí, he has been doing quite well for himself and his team.
This season Olayinka has played close to 39 matches in all competitions, and he has scored 10 goals, a brilliant performance which made him be invited by the National team coach Gernot Rohr.
Prior to his invitation, because of his talent, there were numerous discussions and rumors that he could play for a foreign team, which was the Albania National Football Team. Olayinka himself did say his willingness to play for Albania is if he got the Albanian passport, but in the end, he didn’t.
However, in September 2019, he was invited for an international friendly match between Nigeria and Brazil. Ever since then, he had been a regular in the national team squad, though he hasn’t got plenty time to showcase what he could do, but with what the coach of the team saw in him, he’s one of those players that could rival Victor Osimhen for the number nine position if he stays consistent and in form.
Name: Emmanuel Dennis
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Club: Club Brugge
Another great talent that could rival Victor Osimhen for the number nine position in the National Team is no other than Emmanuel Dennis, the Club Brugge forward has shown to the world and the team coach he can deliver when given the chance to lead the attack of the Eagles.
Dennis brilliant performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage first leg when he scored twice in a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League.
Dennis also represented Nigeria at U15 and U23 level, Dennis also made his debut for the senior team on the 10th September 2019 in a 2-2 friendly match against Ukraine, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Samuel Chukwueze.
If Dennis stays consistent and in form, he could be one of the go-to men for Gernot Rohr and the national team, however, only time would determine.
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David Okereke
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Club: Club Brugge
David Okereke made his professional debut in Italy, with Spezia Seria B side in 2016, in a game against Novara, his performance for Spezia during his spell with them were being monitored by some of the big clubs in Europe, in 2018-19 season, he scored 10 goals and 12 assists in 33 games for the Seria B side.
Haven’t performed well for the Seria B side, that got him the move to one of the biggest, if not the biggest club in Belgium Club Brugge. In July 2019, Okereke signed a four-year contract with Club Brugge,
So far this season David Okereke has played 16 games in all competitions, and he has scored 7 goals for the Belgian side, despite the abundance of talents in the team front line of the Belgian side, with the likes of South African Percy Tau, and fellow countryman Emmanuel Dennis, Okereke has been able to lay claim to a spot in the team, his form and consistencies got him a late invite to the National Team.
In March 2019, Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr handed David Okereke his first invitation to the team for the international friendly match against the Pharaohs of Egypt, Okereke also did well by scoring the fourth goal in Nigeria’s U23 Eagles 4-0 thrashing of Libya.
However it’s left to be seen how things would unfold in the future, but then, they must all keep banging in the goals, remain consistent for the coach to always give them a look in when it’s time to turn up for the National Team.
