AFCON 2023: Who are the Super Eagles forwards making a late play for selection?

Jose Peseiro was bound to make tough decisions over Nigeria's striking personnel at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, and some frontmen are aiding their respective causes with the competition imminent.

Much of the Super Eagles' excitement in the lead-up to the next Africa Cup of Nations has centred on the surfeit of match-winning talent in attack, a cadre of frontmen led by Victor Osimhen.

Away from that provokes questions, with fans unconvinced by Jose Peseiro’s ability to get this side playing coherently, and reservations persist over the personnel in several positions: goalkeeper, centre-back and central midfield. Not centre-forward, where this iteration is blessed beyond measure. 

While it remains to be seen if that overabundance ultimately is a hindrance or blessing, being spoiled for choice should never be a bad thing. This piece does not intend to rehash previous arguments regarding Nigeria’s centre-forward options. Instead, it aims to examine the outsiders who could get into Peseiro’s squad. 

Before going into that, how about some ground rules? There would be no mention of Osimhen, owing to the expectation that the Napoli striker leads the Super Eagles’ attack in Cote d’Ivoire. Victor Boniface may have been in this conversation months back, but the Bayer Leverkusen forward’s ascent under Xabi Alonso makes him a near certainty in Peseiro’s final selection.

Furthermore, Kelechi Iheanacho gets no mention, albeit with some context. The Leicester City forward has not been utilised in a front two in recent Super Eagles outings, with the Nigeria head coach deploying ‘Seniorman’ on the right flank, even if the ex-Manchester City man tucks infield to predominantly occupy the right half-space. 

Outside the three, and with Taiwo Awoniyi sidelined for several months, the Super Eagles have Terem Moffi, Umar Sadiq and Gift Orban as options, while Akor Adams, Cyriel Dessers and Nathan Tella — a wide attacker capable of playing in a front two — are outsiders. 

Terem Moffi

Before Awoniyi’s injury, AFCON 2023 participation was unsure for Moffi. And it was not because of an absence of quality but an upshot of the Nice striker’s extended barren spell in front of goal.

This was no fault of Moffi, who struggled within Francesco Farioli’s conservative approach with the Eaglets. Strikingly, the striker’s winning goal against Toulouse in gameweek 13 materialised from the first clear-cut chance he had received since the eighth round against Metz, underscoring the team’s modus operandi under the Italian. 

Despite not scoring for over two months, Moffi’s three goals were not outdone by any Nice teammate, and his fourth Ligue 1 strike saw the 24-year-old pull two clear of Jeremie Boga (2), who leads a quartet of players on more than one goal.

Awoniyi’s injury means the Nice striker’s place is almost assured, while Farioli’s recent utilisation of his top scorer on the right flank indicates a level of versatility that Peseiro could take advantage of.

Gift Orban

While Moffi has been a near-permanent fixture in previous Super Eagles squads under Peseiro, Orban has made no impression for the three-time African champions. Called up to the side for September’s internationals, the Gent forward was denied an expected debut against Sao Tome & Principe due to injury.

That coincided with the young attacker’s extended run without scoring, a situation examined by Pulse Sports at the backend of September, and the 21-year-old has not been part of the last two squads.

Orban’s nine-game drought has since ended, with the youngster scoring five times in six appearances heading into December, including a Conference League hat-trick against Breidablik.

As timing goes, the Gent forward is undoubtedly doing the right things to put himself in contention for a place in Peseiro’s squad. With Osimhen, Boniface and Moffi likely to take up three slots in the final 27-man selection, Orban faces an uphill task making the team. However, by sustaining his current form, he gives himself a chance to make his competitive Super Eagles debut at the continental showpiece.

Umar Sadiq

Sadiq is the man of the hour, and while it may be too soon to declare the Real Sociedad man resurgent, the towering centre-forward is making a late play for AFCON participation. 

The former Almeria marksman lost the whole of last season after a cruciate ligament tear in September 2022 truncated his debut year with La Real midway through his second month of competitive action in San Sebastian.

A slow reintegration into Imanol Alguacil’s squad was modest until Sadiq raised the roof at Anoeta with a stunning piledriver from around 35 yards against Sevilla at the end of November, winning the game for La Real. 

It was the Nigerian’s first goal for the club since September 2022, and he repeated the trick at Osasuna last weekend, albeit from 20 yards this time, to find the back of the net in consecutive weekends. Making the AFCON group remains to be seen, but hitting a purple patch just before Peseiro’s provisional squad bodes well for his prospects.

The towering 26-year-old did return to the Super Eagles for November’s World Cup qualifying games with Lesotho and Zimbabwe, coming off the bench for a 13-minute cameo in the latter.

Peseiro recalling the Sociedad man back into the Nigeria squad before his goals for La Real was instructive and is perhaps indicative of the Portuguese’s fondness for the ex-Almeria striker. 

Notably, Sadiq was part of the squad for the coach’s first competitive Super Eagles game, playing from the off with Osimhen against Sierra Leone. While that run-out lasted only 45 minutes, bringing him back despite limited match action and few decisive moments for La Real suggests Sadiq may have a place in Nigeria’s AFCON squad. 

On the fringes of the Super Eagles are Adams — uncapped at this level — Dessers — who has fallen from contention since making Peseiro’s early squads — and Tella, with an outside chance of inclusion due to his versatility despite only making his debut in November.

Adams’ drop-off with Montpellier may have come at the worst time for the 23-year-old, who netted seven times in his opening nine Ligue 1 appearances but has fired blanks in the following five league games. That sole reason probably counts against the striker who neither has a history with the side nor on-pitch relationships with teammates.

That admittedly applies to Orban, despite the limited training time with the Super Eagles in September, so it is anyone’s guess if that plays a part in Peseiro’s decision-making process.

The two-striker formation means having four in the squad should be ideal. Five could be overkill. If Peseiro intends to keep Iheanacho outside those positions at AFCON 2023, that leaves the Portuguese with two selections, along with Osimhen and Boniface.

Previous squads suggest Moffi takes up the third spot, with Sadiq and Orban vying for a final place in the group. If every option avoids injury blows, the weeks in the lead-up to the head coach’s Super Eagles squad selection should be attention-worthy.