FIVE HOTTEST NIGERIAN PROSPECTS

Nigeria is blessed with a wealth of talents in every position
of a football team. With over 170million people, the Super Eagles still struggle to make meaningful impact at tournaments. They failed to qualify for the past edition of AFCON and are set to miss the next one. They have also been thrown into a group of death for the 2018 World Cup qualifier. We take a look at the five finest young players the team have that could hold the key and make a difference to the future of Nigerian football.

KELECHI IHEANACHO

 

Iheanacho in action for City

The 19-year old Manchester City striker born on 3 October, 1996 has become a household name in Nigerian football due to his exploits at Manchester City last season. A season that was his breakthrough season in the Premier League to set the ball rolling for other seasons to come. He is a product of Taye Academy in Nigeria. He played at the U-17 World Cup in 2013 and was named the tournament's best player having played so well that clubs fought over his signature and was named CAF's Most Promising Talent in 2013 as well. But City moved fastest with a pre-contract that tied him with the club. Former City coach, Manuel Pellegrini had so much trust in his talent that he subsequently allowed Stefan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko to leave the club. He scored a total of 14 goals for the Citizens last season with most of his appearances coming off the bench. He then leapfrogged Bony in the pecking order. He has been touted to be one of the regulars of Pep Guardiola's team due to his method of developing youngsters. He made his debut for the Super Eagles this year and has already scored twice for the Super Eagles. A bright future awaits the young man. He would miss the Olympics because of the Citizen's preparation for the upcoming season. Nigeria would surely miss his guile at the games.

ALEX IWOBI

 

Alex Iwobi of Arsenal

Alex Iwobi is a 20-year old Arsenal midfielder cum winger born on the 3rd of May, 1996. Born in Nigeria and left the country at the age of four. He is Okocha's nephew. He captained the club's U-23 team before his promotion to the senior team. He is so versatile that after making his debut for Arsenal in October, 2015, against Sheffield, and the Super Eagles against DR Congo the same month, Wenger found it hard to drop the starlet. Wenger said, “I like his team attitude, his movement. We have a game based on movement and speed, and he integrates that very well. He has good power and is usually efficient – he scores goals a lot." After much persuasion, Iwobi switched allegiance to Nigeria after playing for several of England's age grades. Much of the credit was given to Austin Jay-Jay Okocha for convincing the youngster that Nigeria was suitable for him. He was so highly regarded so much that England tried to snatched him before make his competitive debut for the Super Eagles. The pinnacle of his season was when he made his bow in the Champions League against Barcelona. Played primarily as an attacking midfielder, he scored two goals in 21 apps for Arsenal last season. He has also played three times for the Super Eagles. He has also not been allowed to play for his country at the Olympics.

ISAAC SUCCESS

 

Isaac Success

He was born on 7 January, 1996 in Nigeria and plays for Watford. He completed a club record move to Watford fc some weeks ago from sister club, Granada. A member of the 2013 U-17 Champions, he was picked by fans o be the star of the U-17World cup after his scintillating performances at the African Champioships, but as faith would have it, injury scuppered his chance after sustaining injury during the tournament paving way for Iheanacho to be the star of the show. He was signed by Udinese in November 2013 on a five-year deal effective in the following January, for a fee of  €400,000. However, he immediately joined Granada CF, being assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B. In 2014 Success made his first-team debut, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Elche CF at the age of 18 years and seven months, in the process becoming the Andalusians' youngest player ever to appear in the La Liga . He was promoted to the main squad that year. He played 33 times for Granada last season and scored 6 goals. Despite being the second U-20 player in Europe to play most minutes behind Anthony Martial, he was largely overlooked by the Super Eagles' coaching crew. The lanky striker is a modern day powerful striker that is both capable of playing with his back to goal and taking the game to his opponents. He would look to hit the ground running at Watford as soon as possible facing competition from Deeney and his fellow countryman, Ighalo. The next Super Eagles coach will do well to keep an eye on him.

MOSES SIMON

Moses Simon of KAA Gent

The KAA Gent pacy winger is 21-years old born on 12 July, 1995. He has played for both Ajax and AS Trencin before and completed a move to Gent last year. He possesses great dribbling ability playing as an inverted winger that has seen Ahmed Musa shunned to the other flank in the Super Eagles. He also possesses good set piece ability just like the one he scored for Nigeria against Swaziland last year which has seen fans crown him as the new SUPER EAGLES freekick KING replacing the Great Jay-Jay Okocha. He also has experience on his side having won the club's first ever Belgian Pro-League, he has also played in the Champions League. He made his Super Eagles' debut on 25 March, 2015. Since making his debut, he has been a mainstay in the team. He has scored 27 goals in 97 appearances for KAA Gent, a good return from a winger and 3 goals in 7 apps for the Eagles.

WILFRED NDIDI

Wilfred Ndidi of Genk

He also plies his trade in the Belgian Pro-League. He is 19-years of age born on 16 December 1996. He can play as a central defender, defensive midfielder or full back. He plays for K.R.C. Genk.

NDIDI-Best goal of the season

Originally a centre-back as he played for the Nigerian U-20 team in 2015, he has been converted to a defensive midfielder, a role he played throughout last campaign for Genk. During the Belgian playoff game against Club Brugge, Ndidi scored a world class goal after receiving an attempted pass outside the penalty box, he lofted the ball smoothly over an opposing player before unleashing a ferocious volley that was adjudged to be travelling at over 111 km/h. into the top right corner.
It was named the goal of the season in the Belgian league. He made his Super Eagles bow against DR Congo on October 8, 2015. He was named in the 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics but might not be released by his team.

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