The former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has nothing but respect for on loan Southampton striker Paul Onuachu, who was called up as replacement for Real Sociedad forward Sadiq Umar in the Super Eagles squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Onuachu who has found the back of the net nine times in the Turkish league for Trabzonspor and currently holds the honour of the top scorer of the team making him the obvious choice, when Sadiq sustained the injury that knocked him out of the tournament.
It will be his second Africa Cup of Nations tournament as he was in the sqaud for the 2019 edition, and even started the first game which was the 1-0 win over Burundi ahead of then first choice striker Odion Ighalo and a young Victor Osimhen.
Ighalo ended the tournament as the top scorer but Rohr defended his decision to start with the lanky forward ahead of Osimhen by saying he is a better finisher in the box, and carried a killer instinct when attacking crosses.
” Onuachu has the best rate in the team but Ighalo is more experienced and that is the difference. Osimhen is young with a bright future but isn’t at the level of Onuachu when it comes to scoring. Onuachu attacks crosses better and when in the box he is very decisive”, he said in 2020.
Nigerians will be hoping he complements Osimhen, who has now developed into one of the best finishers in world football and powered Napoli to the league title for the first time in 33 years. He is also the present Africa player of the year.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
