Afrigather Nigeria wobbled to 2 boring attracts towards Lesotho and Zimbabwe over the previous few days within the absence of the previous Lille ahead
The Tremendous Eagles had been largely uninspiring as they held Zimbabwe to a disappointing 1-1 draw at the Huye Stadium in Rwanda on Sunday on matchday two of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification marketing campaign.
Solely three days in the past, Nigeria stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Lesotho on the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, essentially the most surprising consequence because the Eagles misplaced to Guinea-Bissau on dwelling soil in March.
Curiously, that loss to the Bissau-Guineans is the one time Nigeria has been defeated with Osimhen concerned since Jose Peseiro turned head coach in Might 2022.
Peseiro has present in Osimhen an everyday goalscorer, with the Napoli striker turning into the 63-year-old tactician’s default Plan A for the Tremendous Eagles.
Osimhen, on his half, has not often disenchanted.
The 24-year-old ahead has scored ten targets and supplied two assists, main Nigeria to 5 wins and one draw within the seven video games he appeared in with Peseiro in cost.
Osimhen scored 4 in Nigeria’s 10-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe final yr and smashed one other three within the 6-0 victory over the identical facet in October.
The Napoli striker was among the many targets as Nigeria beat Sierra Leone 2-1 within the first leg, and he grabbed a brace within the 2-3 overcome the Leone Stars within the return fixture. As soon as he scores, the Tremendous Eagles win.
Nonetheless, within the video games Osimhen has missed as a result of damage or not being named within the squad, Nigeria have misplaced 5, profitable only one and drawing the opposite two.
The Tremendous Eagles solely scored greater than as soon as in simply a kind of video games – the 3-2 pleasant win over Mozambique in Portugal final month.
Against this, Nigeria discovered the web no less than twice in 5 of the seven matches Osimhen was concerned in.
Clearly, in Osimhen’s absence, Peseiro doesn’t have a Plan B.
That situation turned much more evident in Nigeria’s matches towards Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Regardless of showing sloppy and coordinated for big stretches of the 2 encounters, the Tremendous Eagles created sufficient possibilities to edge to victory if a medical finisher was on the pitch.
However Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Boniface, and Umar Sadiq took turns to spurn the few possibilities the staff created.
If he overcomes his damage, Osimhen will seemingly be the primary identify on Nigeria’s squad roster for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Nonetheless, ought to the Napoli targetman, for any purpose, miss that event, Peseiro might want to discover one other assured aim outlet if he hopes to succeed in his semifinal goal on the AFCON.
