Trouble is brewing for Nigeria’s “African Eagle” and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen is currently playing for the Nigerian national soccer team at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Africa. The Nations Cup is the equivalent of the Asian Cup.
The tournament is held every two years and Nigeria has won the title three times in its history. In 1980, 1994, and 2013. The last tournament was won by Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Algeria. Senegal won in rotation.
This year’s tournament was drawn in Group A. It was a group of death with Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Guinea-Bissau. Interestingly, Nigeria finished second and advanced directly to the round of 16, while Côte d’Ivoire earned a wild card for third place.
Nigeria faced a tough opponent in Cameroon and won 2-0, then beat Angola 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Côte d’Ivoire also faced tough opponents Senegal in the round of 16 and Mali in the quarterfinals, defeating them both 2-1. They face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the quarterfinals. The outlook favors Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire to reach the final. In the group stage, Nigeria won 1-0.
Osimhen was part of Nigeria’s run to the quarterfinals. He scored a goal against Equatorial Guinea and assisted on Ademola Lucman’s (Atalanta) goal against Cameroon. He is playing the same role as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), who is leading South Korea at the Asian Cup in Qatar.
Osimhen’s presence in the quarterfinals against South Africa on Aug. 8 could give Nigeria a better 카지노사이트 chance. In the 2023-24 Serie A, Osimhen, along with Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), led Napoli to the top of the table for the first time in 33 years and was the top scorer, earning national support.
Lucman also has backup fire from Moses Simon (Nantes), Joe Arriveau (Southampton), Frank Ondaatje (Brentford), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), and Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan).
However, there’s a chance that Osimhen might not make the trip to South Africa. According to sports publication The Athletic, “Osimhen did not travel to Bouaké, where the South Africans will play, but remained in the capital Abidjan. He is being examined by the team’s medical staff but is likely to miss the match. He reportedly complained of discomfort in his leg.
Osimhen has been sidelined since October last year due to a thigh injury. It would be a significant blow if he fails to deliver a place in the final in front of Nigeria, who will be hoping to win the title.
At the end of the season, Osimhen could be in line for a move to the English Premier League. With one more game to earn his keep, Osimhen is faced with the responsibility of bringing honor to Nigeria. With the help of his teammates, Osimhen can make it past the quarterfinals and focus on the final, or he can be overwhelmed.