Super Eagles coach Finidi George is expected to release the names of players invited for Nigeria’s crucial World Cup qualifiers in the coming days.
Nigeria will face the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medalists South Africa and West African neighbours Benin Republic in the first week of June.
With only two points garnered from their first two qualifying games, the Super Eagles know that the clashes against the Bafana Bafana and the Squirrels are must-win matches.
And against a South African team that is one of the best on the continent, coach George Finidi and the Super Eagles will have to present only their best and most in-form players to stand a good chance of winning.
Which Super Eagles players are at the top of their game at the moment?
The first name that comes to mind is Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface.
The youngster missed the AFCON due to injury but he returned without losing any of his vibe and verve to help Bayer Leverkusen stay unbeaten to win the Bundesliga.
Boniface has scored in each of his last three league games for Leverkusen and will likely be named in the club’s starting lineup against Atalanta on Wednesday night in the Europa League final.
With Victor Osimhen injured and likely to miss Nigeria’s clash against South Africa, Boniface is the one player the Super Eagles should look to unleash against the Bafana.
Ademola Lookman will also be leading Atalanta’s attack in that Europa League clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Lookman has been exceptional for Atalanta this term, with nine goals and six assists in 29 Serie A matches this season.
The former Everton winger was Nigeria’s main man in attack at the AFCON and he will be crucial against South Africa.
Then there is Stanley Nwabali, who knows the South Africans better than anyone in the national team. As Nigeria’s number-one goalie, his callup is almost guaranteed.
Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is pushing for a Super Eagles return but he will not push away Nwabali any time soon.
Nwabali has been superb for Chippa United, keeping a clean sheet at the weekend against Royal AM.
Wilfred Ndidi also missed the AFCON but his impact on his return from the sideline was immediate and his contribution helped Leicester City gain promotion to the Premier League.
While Frank Onyeka was relegated to the bench after his eye-catching AFCON display, fringe Super Eagles star Raphael Onyedika has grown in stature at Club Brugge since his return from Cote d’Ivoire.
He has added goals to his playmaking duties and can be a key component in Finidi’s new Eagles.
Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi were a regular feature in the Fulham squad that finished in a respectable 13th position in the Premier League.
The Super Eagles have no alternative attacking midfielder to Iwobi just yet while Bassey remains Nigeria’s most valuable defender. Finidi will rate both of them highly.
Paul Onuachu will hope his excellent goal-scoring form in Turkey will be enough to convince Finidi to hand him an invite to the Super Eagles.
Cyriel Dessers, Yusuf Otubanjo, and Tenton Yenne are the only Nigerians who have scored more league goals than Onuachu in Europe’s top-flight divisions.
Onuachu has seven goals in his last five games, better than any other Nigerian in the game and it would be a surprise to see him miss out against South Africa.
Bright Osayi-Samuel is another Nigerian enjoying a brilliant campaign in the Turkish Super Liga.
The defender impressed for Fenerbahce as they defeated Galatasaray to keep their slim title chance alive. Osayi-Samuel would be a great competitor for Ola Aina in that Super Eagles’ right full-back role.
With Osimhen and Moses Simon out injured and Taiwo Awoniyi, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Umar Sadiq struggling for form, Cyriel Dessers could be the man Finidi turns to for goals.
Dessers is one of only a handful of Nigerians to have managed 20 or more goals in Europe this season and would be a deadly weapon to possess in the armoury for Finidi.
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