The Super Eagles will be without three of their most important players, but Peseiro would have to improvise
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will be without three of their best and most reliable players when they square off against Algeria in Oran on the 27th of September.
Napoli star Victor Osimhen is out of action for at least four weeks, Sadiq Umar may not play football till April next year, and Kenneth Omeruo will be out of action for Leganes for about a month.
The absence of his three Trojans means that coach Jose Peseiro would have to improvise and look for good replacements.
Soccernet suggests some of the players Peseiro could look at when he releases his squad list for the tough friendly.
David Okereke
In Osimhen’s absence, Cremonese hitman Okereke could fit into Peseiro’s setup.
The 25-year-old striker has enjoyed a decent start to the season at his newly-promoted side. Okereke has been the livewire in Massimiliano Alvini’s lineup this season, scoring two goals in six Serie A games.
The former Club Brugge man is a good dribbler, he is energetic, and is also a good finisher.
Okereke is yet to feature for the Super Eagles, but he has a good chance to change that with Osimhen’s absence.
Henry Onyekuru
After a fortuitous campaign at Olympiakos that saw him score just once in 27 games, Onyekuru has hit the ground running at Adana Demirspor.
The former Everton forward has scored two goals and assisted two in his last six games for his Turkish employers. And he is currently one of the hottest players in the Super Lig.
Onyekuru was left out of Peseiro’s teams for the Nations Cup qualifiers against Sao Tome & Principe and Sierra Leone in June. However, with his recent displays, it would not be out of place to hand the 25-year-old a call-up.
Kevin Akpoguma
Hoffenheim have been decent this season, winning four of their opening six games. And Akpoguma has been integral in their success. The center-back has played six games and has two clean sheets to his name.
Akpoguma has also recorded 1.7 tackles per game, 1.2 interceptions, and has not been dribbled past this season.
Nonetheless, Peseiro may have to switch tactics because all these players have varying strengths and qualities.
