Nigerian football has been in the midst of a slump in recent years. The Super Eagles were eliminated in the second round of last winter’s African Cup of Nations, their worst performance in the tournament proper in 40 years. To compound their misery in away goals defeat to an also out-of-sorts Ghana meant that the Nigerians didn’t qualify for the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar, missing out for just the second time in 32 years.

 

On the global stage, however, the Nigerian flag is still flying high courtesy of their women’s team. The Super Falcons have headed down under to contest the FIFA Women’s World Cup and in their second group game, stunned Sam Kerr’s cohosting Australian’s winning by three goals to two in Brisbane. They are now poised to progress into the knockout stages and who knows where beyond there.

Osimhen Restores Nigerian Pride

Back in the male side of the game, however, it hasn’t all been doom and gloom. Italian outfit Napoli had a lot to shout about last summer when they signed a money-spinning deal with cryptocurrency giant Socios. That brought plenty of excess funds into the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona, and they chose to invest the funds into their playing squad.

 

However, it was their Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen who was brought to the club in the summer of 2020 that was the shining star. The 24-year-old netted 26 goals in 32 Serie A games in a breakout campaign for the Ciucciarelli as they romped to a first Scudetto in 33 years. Despite their status as the reigning champions however, reliable sports betting sites in Canada have made them the second favourites to retain their crown next term, with UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan instead being made the +200 favourites.

 

While the former Sporting Charleroi is the latest in a long line of Nigerians to break out into sporting superstardom, he won’t be the last. Here are two of Nigeria’s finest poised for a massive upcoming campaign.

Chiedozie Ogbene – Luton Town

 

While Chiedozie Ogbene may represent the Republic of Ireland on the international stage, becoming the first African-born player in history to play for the Boys in Green may we add, he was indeed born in Nigeria. Over the last four years, the blisteringly quick winger has made a name for himself as one of the best wide men in the English football league. He has terrorized fullbacks in both the Championship and League One over the last few years, and he is now poised for his big break.

Related News

 

Last term, he helped long-time club Rotherham United to second-tier survival after three previously unsuccessful attempts. His performances were one of the bright points of a satisfactory season at the New York Stadium, and it seems that Premier League new boys Luton Town were taking notice. The 26-year-old was out of contract in South Yorkshire at the end of last season, and The Hatters were only too happy to bring the Nigerian-born Irishman to Kenilworth Road.

 

Ogbene is a frightening prospect for any defender when he’s running at them at pace. On the international stage, he has shone brightly against European powerhouses Belgium and Portugal, and if he can repeat that form next season, he may well find himself as an English top-flight mainstay.

Victor Boniface – Bayer Leverkusen

 

For those of you that are unaware of Belgian football, you may be unaware of the re-emergence of one of the country’s former powerhouses. Over the last three years, Union Saint Gilloise have returned to the summit of Belgian football. Throughout the course of the 20221/22 campaign, they led the country’s top flight for much of the campaign until falling at the final hurdle, eventually being pipped to the title by Club Brugge.

 

Last season, with minutes ticking away in the final game of the season, they were minutes away from the title once more. That was until former Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld scored a 90th-minute thunderbolt to hand the title to Royal Antwerp for the first time in 66 years. But while that may seem like a lot of heartache for two years, USG fans have had plenty to shout about.

 

Last season, they featured in European competition for the first time in the club’s history as they qualified for the Europa League. And thanks to a Nigerian striker other than the aforementioned Osimhen, namely Victor Boniface, they made it all the way to the quarterfinals, defeating the likes of Union Berlin and Ajax on the way. Their 22-year-old striking sensation made all the headlines, finishing as the joint top scorer in the competition alongside Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford with eight goals.

 

Union were eventually eliminated by Bayer Leverkusen, but not before Boniface had made a lasting impression. He scored in a 1-1 draw in the away leg at the BayArena, and that has prompted the Bundesliga giants to fork out €20.5m this summer to secure his signature. There is no doubt that a big campaign awaits the Nigerian star over in Germany next season, and we can’t wait to see the lofty heights he hits over the course of the campaign.