UD Almeria striker Sadiq Umar could finally announce his long-awaited arrival in the Super Eagles with goals at the AFCON in Cameroon before going on to greater things, IKENWA NNABUOGOR reckons…
Sadiq Umar couldn’t have asked for bigger occasion to showcase what he’s got for his country than to be on the biggest stage of African football starting on Sunday, January 9, 2022.
The former Partizan Belgrade hitman has finally come home to roost in the Eagles nest after being named on the final 28-man squad for the AFCON.
He featured when Nigeria won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen quickly moved to include the beanpole striker after it became clear Napoli striker Victor Osimhen will not be available in Cameroon.
Umar had been invited earlier by former coach Gernot Rohr, but he was blocked by his Spanish club due to Covid-19 travel restrictions and so has had to wait for another chance for full international football.
The former Olympic international’s consistency in front of goal over the years couldn’t have been on the blind side of the national team selectors and deservedly he’s in the team to take his incredible club form to the AFCON.
It appears Umar is in bed with providence as it appears he could lead the Eagles attack in Cameroon following the loss to injury and Covid-19 concerns to the team’s top marksman, Victor Osimhen.
KRC Genk striker Paul Onuachu was the next option to take over Osimhen’s shirt but the wicked fate of bowing out to injury, appears to crown Umar the biggest winner of all these injury-induced disappointments in the Eagles’ frontline.
Osimhen had been Sadiq Umar’s “problem” as Eagles’ handlers saw little or need for the towering striker, but the Kaduna-born ace continued to make bold statements with his goals that also saw him attract interests from bigger spenders like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City.
With Osimhen and Onuachu out, will Sadiq shock even himself to force Barcelona et al to break the bank for him and keep Osimhen in the dugout thereafter?
Leggy Umar’s goal accounts are well documented and he seems not to leave his feet off the throttle yet as he is battle ready to burst the nets.
Last season, he scored 20 goals in the Spanish Segunda Division and in the current campaign he has already reached the halfway mark of this tally to prove he still knows his way to goal.
Most importantly, he appears a big-occasion player and Cameroon will definitely give him all the room to prove he didn’t leave his shooting boots in the sunny Andalusia.
He got other marketable qualities in tons to add Cameroon to his personal memoirs when the football party is over by February 6.
His towering height alone will always prove tough for defenders to pin him down and more bad news to them who fail to decode his intuitiveness which most times have resulted to goals or near misses.
Not particularly blessed with pace, Sadiq will always make that up with a sharp football brain.
He knows the task before him and the mission to end Eagles AFCON bronze party – he cannot afford not to come to the party should Eguavoen hand him the top striker’s role.
Perhaps, the memories of former Super Eagles record striker late Rashidi Yekini could he relived again should he use Cameroon resurrect Yekini’s ghosts again and does greater things thereafter.
Sadiq Umar also draws similarities with the late legendary striker to make the comparisons more academic and interesting but the Almeria star must bring something extra ordinary to make fans remember Yekini.
Gangling as Yekini was?
Yes, he is interestingly a Yekini in that regard but lacks the intimidating strength of the late star but still reserves some strength to ruffle feathers with the Segunda Division hatchetmen.
He’s also very inch Yekini’s physique and very good ball sense and positioning to relive some memories, but will do what Napoleon Bonaparte couldn’t do to achieve Yekini’s Eagles’ success.
He has yet to be capped by the Super Eagles, but he’s got the world on his feet in Cameroon to begin a journey that could draw comparisons with Yekini, but will need Eguavoen’s nod to begin this interesting journey.
Sadiq Umar will only hope Cameroon will be kind for him to sing his own Eagles song of goals.
