• Latest
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
First, Ukraine. Now, Brazil. Is Monaco’s Henry Onyekuru Turning Into Another Kelechi Iheanacho?

First, Ukraine. Now, Brazil. Is Monaco’s Henry Onyekuru Turning Into Another Kelechi Iheanacho?

1 year ago
Benin Be Afraid! Super Eagles Star On Fire As He Scores Brace In Team’s 5-1 Win

Transfers: Ahmed Musa, Samuel Kalu And Other Nigerian Stars That Could Move This January

5 hours ago
Osimhen Admits He Was Worried About Racism In Italy

Covid-19: Osimhen Apologises For Flouting Rules As Gattuso Reveals Who Authorised Trip

6 hours ago
Nigeria Star Fires In A Superb Hat-Trick

Nigeria Star Fires In A Superb Hat-Trick

13 hours ago
“I Feel Safe With Ndidi” – Leicester City Star Credits Nigerian Midfield General For His Match-Winning Performance

Nigerians Abroad: Ndidi’s Leicester Fly High, Nwankwo’s Crotone Crash At Inter

18 hours ago
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Monday, January 4, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
Soccernet.ng
  • Home
    Benin Be Afraid! Super Eagles Star On Fire As He Scores Brace In Team’s 5-1 Win

    Transfers: Ahmed Musa, Samuel Kalu And Other Nigerian Stars That Could Move This January

    Osimhen Admits He Was Worried About Racism In Italy

    Covid-19: Osimhen Apologises For Flouting Rules As Gattuso Reveals Who Authorised Trip

    Nigeria Star Fires In A Superb Hat-Trick

    Nigeria Star Fires In A Superb Hat-Trick

    “I Feel Safe With Ndidi” – Leicester City Star Credits Nigerian Midfield General For His Match-Winning Performance

    Nigerians Abroad: Ndidi’s Leicester Fly High, Nwankwo’s Crotone Crash At Inter

    Veteran Super Eagles Star Powers Kano Pillars Past Katsina United

    Veteran Super Eagles Star Powers Kano Pillars Past Katsina United

    Super Eagles Star Closing On First Career League Title In Europe

    Super Eagles Star Closing On First Career League Title In Europe

    Nigerians Abroad: A Brilliant Start To The Year For Super Eagles Stars

    Nigerians Abroad: A Brilliant Start To The Year For Super Eagles Stars

    Taiwo Awoniyi Is Gradually Finding His Feet But What Does The Future Hold For Him?

    Bundesliga: Awoniyi Starts 2021 With A Bang

    Villarreal Boss Unai Emery Tells Samuel Chukwueze Where He Needs To Improve

    La Liga: Samuel Chukwueze Assists Villarreal Win

  • Live Scores
  • Leagues
    • EPL
    • NPFL
    • La Liga
    • Serie A
    • Ligue 1
  • App
  • Videos
  • Players Lifestyle
  • Betting
No Result
View All Result
Soccernet.ng
No Result
View All Result

First, Ukraine. Now, Brazil. Is Monaco’s Henry Onyekuru Turning Into Another Kelechi Iheanacho?

Imhons Erons by Imhons Erons
1 year ago
in Uncategorized
0
First, Ukraine. Now, Brazil. Is Monaco’s Henry Onyekuru Turning Into Another Kelechi Iheanacho?
20
SHARES
499
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

On Sunday, October 13, when the Super Eagles file out to face the Samba Boys in a much anticipated friendly at the Singapore National Stadium, one player will be missing on the pitch and on the bench: Henry Onyekuru.

After a breakthrough season with Galatasaray last season, where his goals and assists played a crucial role in propelling the Turkish giants to the Super League title, many expected Onyekuru to build on his growing reputation as a dangerous, goalscoring winger but the reality has fallen far short of that expectation.

His woes started when Everton, his parent English club then, and Galatasaray – where he had meritoriously spent a year on loan – could not come to a financial agreement to make his loan deal permanent. The Toffees wanted more. The Turks offered less. And when Monaco wrote Everton a bigger cheque, the Blues gladly flogged Onyekuru, reportedly against his wish, to France.

Henry’s views were clear and understandable. In Turkey, he was loved and adored, having earned his place on the team and immersed himself in the club’s culture. However, in Monaco he has had to start all over again: to win the manager’s trust, earn his teammates’ respect and fight for another’s spot in the team.

While goals and assists have helped Victor Osimhen settle quickly in the Ligue 1 despite only recently making the switch to France from Belgium, Onyekuru – who just got married weeks ago – have not enjoyed the same run of luck. The former Eupen forward is yet to find the back of the net for his French club and have only claimed just one assist in the three matches he’s featured in.

This has seen coach Jardim push Henry to the substitute’s bench where he has watched Monaco pulled off back-to-back wins for the first time in 2019. It is little wonder then that Onyekuru has not made Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles squad since the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.

Coach Rohr’s policy has always been clear on that front: play regularly for your club and you’ll feature for your country. Kelechi Iheanacho ran foul of that at Leicester City last season and because of that, he missed out on a bronze-winning campaign at AFCON 2019.

At a glorious time, when Nigeria talents are springing up in all the four corners of Europe and beyond, present Super Eagles stars cannot afford to rely on their past heroics to earn a call up to the national team.

Jostling to snatch Onyekuru’s Super Eagles spot from him are the duo of Slavia Prague’s Peter Olayinka and Club Brugge’s Emmanuel Dennis. Both players are young, hungry and will land in Singapore in a rich vein of form.

Olayinka scored for the Czech champions over the weekend but actually shot to prominence a fortnight ago when he smashed a goal in at the San Siro in the Champions League.
As remarkable as that feat was, it was bettered by Dennis Bonaventure last week when the 20-year-old grabbed a stunning brace at the grandest of stages – the Santiago Bernabeu

Dennis then followed it up by scoring at the weekend in Club Brugge’s 4-0 demolition of Gent. Both Olayinka’s and Dennis’ addition would add some considerable firepower to a Super Eagles attack still reeling from being snubbed by that Chelsea lad.

A front six of Villarreal’s Chukwueze, Lille’s Osimhen, Genk’s Onuachu, Nante’s Simon, Brugge’s Dennis and Slavia’s Olayinka should retain enough pace and power to trouble Brazil’s defence line in Singapore. And they are all likely going to form the skeleton of the Nigeria team of the next decade.

It’s important therefore that Henry Onyekuru sort out his club issues quickly or he ends up being another Kelechi Iheanacho, to become just a left behind bystander as the ship of the Super Eagles’ Golden Generation sets sail for glorious shores.

Share8Tweet5
Imhons Erons

Imhons Erons

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Benin Be Afraid! Super Eagles Star On Fire As He Scores Brace In Team’s 5-1 Win

Transfers: Ahmed Musa, Samuel Kalu And Other Nigerian Stars That Could Move This January

January 4, 2021
Super Eagles Star Closing On First Career League Title In Europe

Super Eagles Star Closing On First Career League Title In Europe

January 3, 2021
Nigerians Abroad: A Brilliant Start To The Year For Super Eagles Stars

Nigerians Abroad: A Brilliant Start To The Year For Super Eagles Stars

January 3, 2021
Nigerians Abroad: A Brilliant Start To The Year For Super Eagles Stars

Nigerians Abroad: A Brilliant Start To The Year For Super Eagles Stars

3
Osimhen Could Miss Nigeria’s Games Against Algeria, Tunisia

New Video Shows Osimhen Flouting Covid-19 Guidelines As He Celebrates 22nd Birthday

6
FIFA Awards: See Who Super Eagles Captain Ahmed Musa Voted For Between Ronaldo, Messi And Van Dijk

Ahmed Musa Misses The Target As He Trains Back Home In Nigeria

6
Benin Be Afraid! Super Eagles Star On Fire As He Scores Brace In Team’s 5-1 Win

Transfers: Ahmed Musa, Samuel Kalu And Other Nigerian Stars That Could Move This January

January 4, 2021
Osimhen Admits He Was Worried About Racism In Italy

Covid-19: Osimhen Apologises For Flouting Rules As Gattuso Reveals Who Authorised Trip

January 4, 2021
Nigeria Star Fires In A Superb Hat-Trick

Nigeria Star Fires In A Superb Hat-Trick

January 3, 2021
Soccernet.ng

Copyright © 2020 Soccernet Media Limited.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Live Scores
  • Leagues
    • EPL
    • NPFL
    • La Liga
    • Serie A
    • Ligue 1
  • App
  • Videos
  • Players Lifestyle
  • Betting

Copyright © 2020 Soccernet Media Limited.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In