The job of a striker is simple - to score goals! No matter what you play as a center forward, if you are not scoring goals, both your employers and fans will not be happy with you - Fenado Adi Nigerian striker playing with FC Cincinnati USA.
Nigeria national team will return to play in the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) after missing out in 2015 and 2017 consecutively. On like Fifa World cup, Nigeria stand a real chance to compete for the trophy after winning it thrice in previous years.
Super Eagles would need two or three highly inform box-to-box strikers who will be saddled with job of putting the ball behind the net; if Nigeria is looking at winning again this time around. So we decided to beam our searchlight around the world to scan for Nigerian strikers doing well in the current 2018/ 19 season.
Olarenwaju Kayode (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine): Kayode have been suffering from goal drought since his arrival in Ukraine, which has relegated his time to the bench. Just scored 2 goals in 13 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk.
But we know how prolific kayode can be, especially in his time in Austria Bundesliga when he scored 30 goals in 67 appearances for Austria Wien or his time in Ligat HaAl when he scored 23 goals in 56 appearances for Maccabi Netanya and won the golden ball award in both leagues.
10. Isaac Success (Malaga Spain) Success career have been regrettably hampered by injury, currently recovering and can be in form again before AFCON 2019. Scored paltry 2 goals in 42 appearances for Watford in 2016 and didn't score in his loan spell with Malaga in 2018 due to injury.
Success can be very lethal as a striker when he is fully fit, a handful for defenders. Success scored 7 goals in seven appearances at Fifa U17 World cup and 2 goals in four appearances at Fifa U20 world cup.
Mfon Udoh still hold NPFL all time highest goal scorer record with his 23 goals for Enyimba in 2005
8. Junior Lokosa (Esperance, Tunisia): Lokosa has scored 3 goals in 9 appearances for his new club Esperance of Tunisia. He has convinced everyone in the North African team that he can take his goal scoring prowess to another level. Afcon 2019 may afford him the opportunity to shine, if called up for the assignment.
Junior Lokosa won the goldenball as the highest goal scorer at the unconcluded 2018 NPFL season. He scored 18 goals in 28 appearances for Kano Pillars.
7. Stephen Odey (FC Zurich, Switzerland): Odey has gradually become a main stay in his team FC Zurich. He has start 18 times as first choice striker....and scored 7 times and provided two assists in 22 league appearances for FC Zurich this season. He has also scored 3 goals in three appearances in the Swiss Cup...and 1 goal in four appearances in the Europa cup.
Stephen Odey was the highest goal scorer in NPFL 2017 season. He scored 19 goals for his team MFM.
6. Victor Osimhen (Charleroi SC, Belgium) Osimhen join the Belgium club on loan from VfL Wolfburg after failing to score in his debut 2017 German Bundesliga season. However, scored 10 goals in 23 appearances for Charleroi in 2018 and has scored four times this season.
Osimhen a very prolific striker, has a very robust international honours: Won Fifa U17 world cup scored 10 goals, won fifa U17 world cup goldenboot as most valuble player, silverball as second highest goalscorer in the 2015 edition, he also won Caf young player of the year award the same year.
5. Taiwo Awoniyi (Royal Excel Mouscron REM, Belgium) Awoniyi is on loan from liverpool, has been in a very good form this season. Scored incredible 7 goals in eight appearances for REM in the on going season. Scored 29 goals in his previous loan deal with the same team in 2017/ 18 season.
Taiwo's style of play has been compared to that of Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria's all-time highest goalscorer, also has an impressive international record: 4 goals in 8 appearances at Fifa U17 World cup 2013; 7 goals in 9 appearances Fifa World U20 World cup, 2 goals in three appearances at the Olympic games.
4. Anthony Nwakaeme (Trabzonspor Turkey) Tony has taken is imposing power play to Turkey and has already scored 8 goals in twenty appearances for his new club Trabzonspor. Perhaps, one of the best strikers in Turkish Supa Lig.
Tony goal scoring antecedent shone like many stars in Isreal where he led Hapoel Be'er Sheva to win Isreali championships three years in a roll 2016, 2017 and 2018...become the highest goal scorer in 2017 with 35 goals...was also awarded the Isreal Premier League best player same year.
3. Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjylland of Denmark) striker has scored 14 goals for his club this season Onuachu has extremely good height, tall, he is more than two meters high, good with the head.and towering speed.
Onuachu will debut in Afcon qualifiers game: Nigeria Vs Seychelles. Rohr said he will play for at least 45 minutes.
2. Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, China) Ighalo is Nigeria national team first choice striker, just signed for Shanghai Shenhua in February and made three appearances with no goal yet. Ighalo was the scored highest goal scorer in Chinese Super League with 36 goals in 55 appearances for Changchun Yatai, but the team suffered relegation in 2018 season.
Ighalo's box-to-box finishing isn't in doubt as a very lethal striker, especially during his time in Watford, where scored 33 times in 82 appearances in thr English Premier League.
1. Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray S.K): Onyekuru is on loan from Everton, but has hit an incredible form playing for Galatasaray this season. Undoubtedly the best Nigerian striker today. Has scored 11 goals in 23 appearances in the Turkish Super lig this season...and has attracted top flight clubs like PSG and Everton is looking at recalling him back during the summer.
Onyekuru has again and again proved that he is a world class striker after finishing joint highest in the Belgian first division with 22 goals for his team Eupen, has moved to Andercht where he scored 9 goals in 19 appearances.
