Football is about goals and in recent times Nigeria stars have been rattling them in across Europe to ramp up the excitement levels that the Super Eagles are headed for the glory days again.
Gernot Rohr may have refused to declare the Eagles will be African champions again in Cameroon in January, but he is equally upbeat that his brand of “very, very offensive” football has boosted confidence of great things to come.
It is very much like we are back in the 90s, when Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George, Tijani Babangida were terrorising defences for both club and country.
And what was the result?
A second AFCON title in Tunisia in 1994, an impressive World Cup debut in the USA months later and then a historic Olympic football Gold in 1996.
Last night, Kelechi Iheanacho extended his red-hot form with a world-class match winner and an assist for Leicester City to stay on track for UEFA Champions League football next season.
Victor Osimhen was again helping himself to another Serie A goal for Napoli, while at the weekend Terem Moffi netted a hat-trick in the French Ligue 1 and ‘Simy’ Nwankwo smashed his 19th goal in Serie A.
Paul Onuachu crowned a season in which he scored 29 goals in the league by winning the Belgium Cup and Sadiq Umar’s goals will be crucial for UD Almeria to return to La Liga.
Even Samuel Chukwueze, who has often been knocked for not scoring enough goals, will not be outdone as he hit target against mighty Barcelona for Villarreal.
Competition among all these strikers can only be to the benefit of the team.
This has explained why Rohr has now opted for the 4-4-2 formation ahead of his more favoured 4-2-3-1, which qualified his team to the last World Cup and won them third place at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
That was why Rohr started both strikers Iheanacho and Osimhen in the AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho last month and he has said he hopes to stick to this formation that thrives on wingers and two strikers.
It must also give some comfort that just as the strikers are firing at full cylinders, players in the other departments of the team are also standing up to be counted.
The gamble by defender William Ekong to trade Serie A football for that of the English Championship has paid off as he will be playing in the Premier League with Watford next season.
Coming up against the strikers of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs week in, week out can only make him a better defender.
This can only be great news for the Super Eagles particularly as the defence continues to be the weakest link of this team.
Maduka Okoye has thankfully resolved the goalkeeping crisis that hit the team midway through the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, while Ovie Ejaria, Michael Olise and, fingers crossed, Eberechi Eze, will bring the much-needed creativity in midfield. It is therefore understandable why millions of fans are more bullish about the Super Eagles even if Rohr remains cautious.
