1. Odion Ighalo
If you say Odion Ighalo will be Super Eagles main striker at the 2018 Fifa World cup in Russia, then you are not far from the truth. At least he has proved his worth in the two legged qualifiers against Cameroon and may have won the confidence of Nigeria national team head coach Gernot Rohr.
Come to think of it, is Ighalo the best Nigerian striker at the moment? It's a question that could breed 'bad blood' really. A player doesn't need to be the "best striker," but if he is the best fit to a coach's pattern of play, then he will always get the nod as the first choice striker for the team.
Well, if you truly understand how football works, you will agree with me that eight months is a lot of time for the dynamics of the game to play out fortune or misfortune for different players alike before Fifa world cup commence in Russia, June 2018.
Some of the players may loose form before the time, some may be injured, even at the nick of time and yet there could be sudden rising star within the period, which the coach couldn't just ignore. Any of this variables could interplay to change the structure of the team.
Recently, the first choice striker for the Super Eagles has hovered between Ighalo and Kelechi Iheanacho. For many months past, Ighalo and Brown Ideye couldn't get the ball to hit the back of the net and so Iheanacho was then converted into a striker following the role he played as a super-sub for Manchester city then..
Although, 2017 season so far hasn't been something exciting for Iheanacho as he has been struggling to find his feet at his new club Leicester city. But Iheanacho has continued to nib in vital goals for Super Eagles especially during the qualifiers.
Most analysts are of the opinion that Iheanacho isn't an outright striker, but a support striker that may always be at the heels of Ighalo, considering the 4-2-3-1 formation Rohr loves to adopt in most Super eagles recent games. But as it is, the way things turn out for Iheanacho at club level may also affect his position in the national team when the world cup commence in June 2018.
One striker we have not seen play for the Super eagles, but Rohr has continued to invite him to camp is Anthony Nwakaeme.
What we know about Nwakaeme was that he won the Most valuable player (MVP) and highest goal scorer with 19 goals for his club Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2016 football season in the Isreal elite league.
Many analysts thought Rohr would have featured Nwakaeme ahead of Ighalo in the Match against cameroon because of his power play and high scoring techinque, he could bulldoze pass any defense line at will to put the ball at the back of the net.
Playing in a low league like Isreal may have pitched Nwakaeme and his fellow campatriot John Ogu against players from more franced leagues like the Premiership and Bundesliga, Some of us believe player like Nwakaeme only needs a chance to prove himself. Then he could become the main striker before the world cup commence.
Perhaps, the hottest Nigerian striker at the moment is Henry Onyekuru. Presently on loan from his new club Everton to Anderlecht this season. Onyekuru has scored. 6 goals in 9 matches in the Belgium elite league...and his very fast pace striking ability is getting attention of top clubs like PSG, Real Madrid, Napoli...
Onyekuru have been invited to the national team once, but hasn't debut. But with the way he is going now, he may not be ignored for too long. He has shown that he has what it takes to takeover as main striker for Super Eagles during the 2018 mundial.
Another rising Nigerian striker is Olarewaju Kayode. Signed a new four years deal with Manchester city, but on loan at Girona in the La liga. Kayode scored 18 goals to become the highest goal scorer in Wien at the Austria premier league in 2016.
Kayode's sliky style of play has endeared him to most managers. He is the kind of player that delivers in very tight games. His positioning and very crafty style of play put him in the ranks of former Italian Izaghi.
Kayode have been invited twice to the national team and have debuted in March 2017. It may not be too much of surprise if Kayode eventually makes it as part of the Super eagles squad for the 2018 world cup
