Mutiu Adepoju: Umar Sadiq battles Osimhen for 'next Rashidi Yekini' title

Damola Ogungbe 18:41 - 07.09.2022

Super Eagles striker Umar Sadiq has become the latest Nigerian striker to draw comparisons with legendary Super Eagles striker Rashidi Yekini.

While Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has been touted as the current Nigerian striker to step into the shoes of Yekini, Sadiq has entered the conversation after a blistering start to life in the Spanish La Liga.

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.ng/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

Sadiq has taken his La Liga goal tally to three (3) goals in four matches, scoring in three consecutive league games including on his debut for Real Sociedad.

Speaking on Sadiq's fast start to life at Real Sociedad, ex-Super Eagles and Real Sociedad midfielder compared the former Almeria striker to another Nigerian legend, Yekini.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Adepoju likened Sadiq to Yekini in terms of their similarities in height, goalscoring and making runs.

The former Real Sociedad star said on Umar Sadiq: "No, I have never spoken to him; but I follow him, I watch all his games and he seems like a great player, he can give more.

“He reminds me of another Nigerian we had, Rashidi Yekini, who we used to call ‘gangling’. 

"I think Sadiq is young and can catch up with Yekini. He has a goal, quality, height and runs more or less like him.”

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.ng/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

Umar Sadiq was a hit with Almeria in the La Liga Segunda division during the 2021/22 season, bagging 19 goals and six (6) assists to help his team to automatic promotion to the top flight. 

In his first three matches in the La Liga, the 25-year-old striker bagged two (2) goals which convinced Real Sociedad to part with €20m to secure the services of the former Roma player.

Tags: