IKENWA NNABUOGOR welcomes the long awaited Eagles invite for UD Almeria striker Sadiq Umar but warns it will take something extraordinary for him to step into Rashidi Yekini’s big shoes…
The Super Eagles’ time for lanky Almeria of Spain striker Sadiq Umar is finally here as coach Gernot Rohr named him on the 24-man squad ahead of 2021 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho later this month.
Close watchers believe the former Partizan Belgrade would have long been a member of the country’s team owing to his impressive goal-scoring form over the years.
It came as no surprise to even Umar as his goals have continued to speak for him since he graduated from youth football in Italy some years and emerged as a competent goal-scoring machine cutting across four European countries thus far in his seemingly illustrious career.
It even got the local media into a frenzy as they demanded forhis immediate inclusion in the Eagles as he continued to help his cause with an impressive goals record, plus emerging the Spanish Segunda Player of the Month for February 2021.
Spanish football was the biggest career push that ensured his Eagles’ invite as he has refused to slow down, finding the scoring range 16 times thus far this season and a further six at Partizan, totally 24, to deservedly shoot his way to Eagles.
Serbian football was becoming too small for him as top spenders in Italy, England, Spain and England enquired about him, but it was Almeria who finally won his signature and he has since not disappointed.
Now the big question and the main crux of this piece – will he be the next Yekini, the undisputed record Eagles striker who netted 37 goals for Nigeria?
It’s indeed not far-fetched to compare him with the legendary striker, but Umar must have to move the mountains with goals for him to come close to the achievements of the now departed former Vitoria Setubal striker.
Having almost similar physical attributes to the record striker should also be the spur for Umar to want to step into Yekini’s big boots, which have practically become too big for strikers who took over from Yekini when he left the Eagles scene in 1998.
Umar was not even born when Yekini drew the curtains on his Eagles career, but his legendary stories must have been told to him as well as the fact that he would have watched the videos of ‘Ye-King’.
It is indeed flattering for Umar to draw a Yekini comparison, but the former AS Roma Primavera striker will be expected to start scoring for his country to grace this uncommon honour.
His Eagles chance is here finally and smart money will be on him to justify his inclusion as he hopefully begins a long, tortuous journey to match Yekini’s records.
In fairness to this comparison, Yekini didn’t start scoring immediately coach Adegboyoga Onigbinde handed him the green and white colours for the first time in 1983.
Yekini was a rookie when Onigbinde took a massive gamble on him, but he kept faith with him until he matured over time to become one of the most feared strikers in world football.
His no goal- show even lingered into the 1984 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire but when his goals started rolling in, he was unstoppable.
Could this also be the case with Umar?
It will be a tough call as times have changed as well as football undergoing lots of technological transformations as well as growing number of equally good strikers some of whom are yet to be capped.
Rohr may not be that patient with Umar should his case be like Yekini’s Eagles early days, but he must have to bring something extraordinary to the table to wrestle the top scorer’s shirt from Victor Osimhen, whose Eagles’ goals account can’t just be wished away.
What about Yekini’s style?
Umar’s is seemingly close to Yekini’s but not really complementing this with the raw strength of the late Eagles marksman, though, Umar’s confidence in front of goal remains one of his strongest suits.
Yekini was also quick off the mark and his positioning was also spot-on; Umar also got those attributes and has hardly failed to make use of those in firing past the opposing goalkeepers.
Umar’s legs are also as long as Yekini’s and bad news it’s also been for defenders who lack inches as he has repeatedly punished them to beat goalkeepers and add to his goals’ haul.
One huge positive for Umar is his amazing eye for goals and his ability to score with all parts of his body, he could leverage on that to paint his Eagles’ days in colours.
Seemingly, it appears he’s come to stay in the Eagles, but must face stiff challenges from Napoli record signing Osihmen, who has also put his feet where the goal is for his country.
Who knows both towering marksmen can conspire to punish opponents in future should both mature with time to shoot Eagles to where they rightly belong?
It will remain to be seen if Umar will replicate his superb club form to the national team and leave a mark that will match or be close to Yekini’s.
