Owolabi Advises Super Eagles Boss Gernot Rohr To Build Team Around Osimhen

Forum 3 years ago

Owolabi Advises Super Eagles Boss Gernot Rohr To Build Team Around Osimhen

Felix Owolabi has advised Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr to build his team around Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who he described as a ‘matchmaker.’

The 21-year-old is fast becoming a world-class player and shone during his time with Belgian side Sporting Charleroi to earn a move to French side Lille.

The forward continued his eye-catching performances with the Ligue 1 club, scoring a number of breath-taking goals amid other dazzling displays and was deservedly named the club’s Player of the Season before joining Napoli for a club-record fee of €80 million.

Osimhen has been in terrific form for the Italian outfit since his arrival, scoring a number of goals in their pre-season games and gave a good account of himself in his first competitive match for the club against Parma on Sunday.

Rohr recently named the squad for Nigeria’s friendly games against Tunisia and Ivory Coast with the forward included in the team.

Osimhen has only made nine appearances since his Super Eagles debut in 2017 and former international, Owolabi, has advised the German tactician to devise a way to get the best out of the striker.

“I think as at today, Osimhen is the best thing we can talk about, as far as Nigerian football is concerned. And if I were the coach of the national team, I will build my team around that boy,” Owolabi told the Guardian.

“For a very long time, after my tenure, and that of the USA ’94 World Cup group, I have not seen a matchmaker in the Eagles’ team.

“I want to say that this boy is something else. He is a very fantastic player and I advise the handler of the national team to devise a means of making the best use of him.

“There are at times when a coach will have such a unique player and he is confused about how best to use him… not every coach knows how to use such a player.”