Owolabi: Osimhen, The Best Thing In Nigerian Football

The youngster has only played a handful of games for the Super Eagles, but he is expected to be the star of the side for years

Napoli forward Victor Osimhen is a fantastic player and a game-changer the likes of which the Super Eagles have not seen in nearly three decades, says former Nigeria international Felix Owolabi.

The 1980 African Cup of Nations-winning hero has, therefore, charged coach Gernot Rohr and the other handlers of the national side to build a winning team around the former Royal Charleroi striker.

Osimhen has been the most prominent topic of discussion in the Nigerian football space since completing a multi-million euro move to Serie A giants Napoli. The former Lille lad has equally been praised for how he has settled down to life in Naples.

The 21-year-old has proven to be a worthy successor to Odion Ighalo in the national team, scoring four goals in his last four games for the Rohr-led side.

The German tactician continues to invite other strikers like Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Genk’s Cyriel Dessers, to the team. But Owolabi wants the former Bordeaux boss to find a system that gets the best out of Osimhen.

“I think as at today, Osimhen is the best thing we can talk about, as far as Nigerian football is concerned,” Owolabi told the Guardian.

“And if I were the coach of the national team, I will build my team around that boy. For a very long time, after my tenure, and that of the USA ’94 World Cup group, I have not seen a matchmaker in the Eagles’ team.

“I want to say that this boy is something else. He is a very fantastic player, and I advise the handler of the national team to devise a means of making the best use of him.

“There are at times when a coach will have such a unique player, and he is confused on how best to use him… not every coach knows how to use such a player.”

Osimhen has been named among the 25 players Rohr plans to unleash against Ivory Coast and Tunisia in Austria next month.