×

Emenike Is The Striker Nigeria Has Been Looking For – Obanya

Following Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ 2-1 away win against Ethiopia’s Antelopes on Sunday, sports analyst, Nnamdi Obanya, on Monday said that Nigeria’s centre-forward, Emmanuel Emenike may … Continue reading Emenike Is The Striker Nigeria Has Been Looking For – Obanya


Following Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ 2-1 away win against Ethiopia’s Antelopes on Sunday, sports analyst, Nnamdi Obanya, on Monday said that Nigeria’s centre-forward, Emmanuel Emenike may be the striker Nigeria has been looking for to take after Nigeria’s highest goal scorer, Rashidi Yekini.

“Emenike might finally be the centre-forward we have been looking for.

Right now he has joined Rashidi Yekini and Sunday Onyeruka on more than one goal in every two games. Only three of them have done it. Segun Odegbami is flat on one goal every two games.

Emenike has 10 goals in 18 and at his goal scoring ratio, by the time he plays 58 games like Yekini, he would have scored 32. Yekini did 37 in 58 games,” Obanya said.

Although, Emenike’s goal ratio can improve, Obanya opined that “he is the striker Nigeria has been looking for.”

He said this while analysing Sunday’s game on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.

Obanya, who had predicted a 2-1 win game in favour of Nigeria last week, said that Nigerians were harsh on the Super Eagles on Sunday. The Ethiopians were in control when the match started and kept possession of the ball, he said, adding that the pitch was also bumpy, hence the Super Eagles “couldn’t get a foot hold in the game.”

He faulted Nigerian coach, Stephen Keshi for making Odu Amadi, who is a natural winger play out of position in his 4-3-3 formation which led to an imbalance in the middle and “it ended up looking like a 4-2-3-1. Unfortunately, the 3 behind the one striker are all wingers which left Nigeria’s mid-field empty.

Speaking about the defense, he said that central defender Egwuekwe’s inexperience was exposed during the match as “a lot of times, the Ethiopians would get behind the full-back”, but his position allowed the Ethiopians have chances they should never have had.” Obanya however gave all credit to Egwuekwe’s central partner Oboabona. “Although Emenike was the man of the match, Oboabona single-handedly held down the defense”.

Obanya while praising the Super Eagles for playing “the classic away game football” faulted Mikel Obi for holding the ball for too long when he was counter-attacking his position. The Ethiopian goal keeper, was not the best in the world and the Eagles should have been ticking shots at him.