On Tuesday, the Nigeria Football Federation announced that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen had pulled out of the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Benin and South Africa because of an injury.
The injury is a big blow for Nigeria because of the importance of both games. Recall that Nigeria drew their first two games against Zimbabwe and Lesotho, and are condemned to win their next two games to keep their hopes of playing at the next World Cup alive. Osimhen was not involved in the first two games, and his injury means that he would have missed Nigeria’s first four games of the qualifiers.
Even though Nigeria is blessed with a lot of attacking talent, it is a big blow and could even cost the team because Osimhen is Nigeria’s first-choice striker. Now, coach Finidi George has to make a big decision on who will take over the vacant spot in attack.
The three available traditional strikers are Paul Onuachu, Terem Moffi, and Victor Boniface.
Who should replace Osimhen?
In his first two games as interim coach, Finidi used a lineup similar to what Jose Peseiro used at the 2023 AFCON but with a slight tweak. Finidi used two strikers in his first game against Ghana which he won. But in the second game, when he returned to one striker, the Super Eagles lost. Hence, there is a chance that Finidi will employ a two-pronged frontline.
In the just-concluded European season, of the three traditional strikers available, Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface scored the most goals. The 24-year-old registered 21 goals in 34 games across all competitions for his club.
In terms of talent he also seems like the most talented player on the roster. However, it may not be so straightforward. Terem Moffi and Onuachu have more experience than him. Moffi suffered a lull in the last quarter of the season, but he churned out eleven goals and two assists in 32 games.
Meanwhile, Onuachu was also impressive for Trabzonspor in the Super Lig with 15 goals in 25 games. For the kind of style that Nigeria would likely play, the forwards would have to be physical. And of the three, Onuachu seems like the best bet for that.
His aerial presence would also have been a threat, but the Super Eagles don’t exactly have great crossers of the ball. And thus, Finidi would prefer to keep the ball on the floor a bit more. And this is an area that Boniface would really flourish.
With the games fast approaching, Finidi would have to think hard before making the right choice.
NB. Which striker do you think would be the best replacement for Osimhen?
Boniface and terem strike for SA
Kelechi and Onuachu strike for Benin