Portugal friendly: Three exciting Nigerian stars ready for maiden Super Eagles call-up

The Nigeria national men’s football team will in the coming days play Costa Rica and Portugal in the last international matches for the year 2022.

With a record of zero wins in three friendly games under his watch, head coach Jose Peseiro will aim to buckle that trend when the Super Eagles face the Central Americans and the Europeans. The key to that will be fielding Nigeria’s best players for the clashes.

The friendlies also present Peseiro the opportunity to try out new stars and new ideas.

And Soccernet.ng’s Imhons Erons highlights three exciting footballers whose performances in recent times put them in line for national team invitations.

Victor Boniface

No Nigerian footballer in Europe has been more effective in front of goal this season than Union Saint-Gilloise’s Victor Boniface.

The exciting young forward has accounted for nineteen goals and six assists in all competitions for Bodoe/Glimt and Union SG.

A new arrival to Belgium, Boniface has been called the new Romelu Lukaku by the Belgian media, with his power, pace, and poise causing many a defender loads of worries.

It is in the Europa League, however, that his contributions have been more profound. The 21-year-old is Nigeria’s most prolific forward in the competition with three goals. Even overall, only Sporting Braga’s Vítor Oliveira (4 goals) has scored more than the youngster.

And with Cremonese’s Cyriel Dessers a huge doubt for Nigeria’s November friendlies, Boniface could receive his maiden Super Eagles call-up sooner than later.

Jordan Torunarigha

Torunarigha has represented Getmany at all levels from the under-16 to the Olympics team but he remains eligible to represent the Super Eagles.

Son of a former Nigeria international, Torunarigha ended a 16-year association with Hertha Berlin in January to join Gent in Belgium. He has sunce become one of the Jubiler Pro League’s most respected defenders.

With age catching up with Super Eagles stalwart Leon Balogun, 25-year-old Torunarigha may just be the perfect replacement for the former Mainz man in the Nigerian national team set-up.

Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi

Yusuf has been one of Nigeria’s most consistently excellent performing youngsters in Europe over the last couple of years.

He was the best young player in Sweden, where he was named the 2019 Allsvenskan Newcomer of the Year before he completed a switch to Belgium’s Royal Antwerp last year.

A tireless workaholic, a solid tackler and an impenetrable shield for the defence, Yusuf is Wilfred Ndidi and Michael Essien rolled into one.

At 22, the defensive midfielder would be a great under-study for Ndidi and it is only a matter of time before the national team handlers integrate him into the Super Eagles.