Despite his many struggles in Italy, Victor Osimhen will be the man Gernot Rohr will pick to lead the Super Eagles attack against Benin Saturday, while on-form Kelechi Iheanacho will have to do with some game time ahead of Genk giant striker Paul Onuachu.
Whether Rohr settles for his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation or plays 4-3-3, Osimhen will be the arrowhead of the attack, ably assisted by two wingers, against an ambitious Benin team yet to lose at home in over eight years.
The 22-year-old Osimhen is the leading scorer in the AFCON qualifying campaign with four goals.
However, it has not been great sailing for the Napoli record signing in Europe after a long-term shoulder injury, Coronavirus infection and some media controversies.
Iheanacho, on the other hand, has been on a cruise at Leicester City lately after at a time it looked like his future will be away from the Premier League club.
In October, he marked his Eagles comeback by scoring in a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in a friendly in Austria.
That was in the absence of Osimhen, who could not leave Italy because of travel restrictions caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.
‘Seniorman’ has since gone on to be the goals machine at Leicester City, netting nine goals in as many games so much so that ‘The Foxes’ are now just a game away from the FA Cup Final for the first time in 39 years.
It is such form that has now installed Iheanacho, 24, ahead of Genk giant Paul Onuachu, who has also been scoring goals for fun in Belgium, in the pecking order of the Eagles strikers.
I can smell partiality in the selection…Paul is the right man for that top Nine tho..just saying.