Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 There are now 145 days to the start of the African Cup of Nations for the senior team.
00:05 Of course, Nigeria's strikers, talking about Super Eagle strikers, have hit top gear in
00:09 Europe, scoring goals right, left, front and centre.
00:13 Now looking towards the tournament, we'll talk about their expectations for the season.
00:18 I mean, what should these players be doing ahead of the tournament?
00:21 My name is Ayomede Shusuba and this is The Nutmeg on Guardian TV.
00:25 So joining me for this edition of The Nutmeg is Adonisola and who better to talk about
00:35 Nigeria's sweet fine form than you.
00:37 How are you doing?
00:38 Fine, thank you.
00:39 Thank you so much for having me on the show today.
00:41 And where better to start from than Victor Osime, who has started the season with a bang
00:46 and a young man just can't stop scoring.
00:48 Victor Osime has been in fine form and he's one of the great strikers in Europe.
00:55 I feel like he's going to get more goals, he's going to keep scoring.
00:58 All he needs to do is avoid injuries.
01:01 That's quite important with the Afghans just 145 days away.
01:05 But anyway, another question is Taiwo Awoni, who became the first Nigerian to score six
01:10 consecutive Premier League goals.
01:12 And mind you, he scored 10 goals in 27 appearances in the Premier League last season for Norton
01:16 and Forrest.
01:17 And he would have scored more if not for the injury.
01:20 And last season, he was just that missing piece.
01:22 Norton and Forrest needed to avoid relegation.
01:25 He came in, he scored against Chelsea, he scored against Arsenal, saved them, kept them
01:29 back in the league.
01:30 He came again this season, he scored on the first day of the season, in the first game.
01:36 Yeah, and he scored again in succession.
01:38 He had a subsequent to score and he scored again in the second game.
01:42 He's going to keep scoring.
01:44 And the big hope has to be that favouritism does not rule him out of the African Cup of
01:49 Nations when the coach, we don't know who, but when the coach is going to make selection.
01:55 But then let's move away from him.
01:57 One player particularly that has always been grabbing headlines is Gift Urban.
02:02 He scored again his sixth of the season and he has 25 goals in 19 appearances.
02:07 Only moved in January, but then he's taken the Belgium Pro League by storm for Gent.
02:12 Gift Urban is a very good player.
02:14 He's young and he has the potential to develop.
02:18 He still has a lot to do.
02:19 But I feel if he can continue in this form, he will be very good for the national team.
02:24 And the future of the national team will be bright because we have a striker like Gift
02:29 Urban who can score.
02:31 Big teams in Europe are searching for him.
02:34 Let me weigh in on your opinion on that now.
02:37 Do you think the move from the Belgium Pro League to fill the void that Harry Kane has
02:42 left in Fortnum, do you think it's the right move for him or do you think he should be
02:46 a little bit more patient?
02:47 No, no, no.
02:48 I feel he should be patient.
02:49 His time will come.
02:50 I don't think he can fill that Harry Kane hole now.
02:53 I don't think because the pressure will be on him.
02:55 He's a young player.
02:56 He still has two more years to develop, a year to develop.
03:00 He just moved in January.
03:02 So why the rush?
03:03 Anyways, I know you're not particularly impressed about Cyril Dezaz now but he's
03:08 got 26 goals, he's got 6 goals rather in 26 games for Cremonese who relegated and now
03:16 he's joined the Rangers and he got a goal over the weekend.
03:19 One goal, one game and perhaps he could just take the Scottish Premiership by storm.
03:24 No, I don't really expect much.
03:26 But why?
03:27 I don't understand.
03:28 Why is Dezaz a popular name among fans of the Super Eagles I should say?
03:33 I won't call him a popular name.
03:35 Why?
03:36 I feel like Cyril Dezaz has only proven himself once in Feyenoord.
03:41 But we're talking about a player here who has been in the Netherlands just as you said
03:45 Feyenoord, he's played in Italy.
03:47 He's got some European pedigree.
03:49 But his current record has not been fantastic.
03:52 You think so?
03:53 Yes, he had 9 goals in 27.
03:55 So looking forward now, do you think he's somebody that we could count on for the AFCON?
04:01 No, no, no.
04:02 But what if he improves?
04:03 Your opinion about him changes?
04:04 Maybe in the Scottish Premiership?
04:05 So yeah, if he improves, my opinion about him changes.
04:08 Ok, then one name who has not particularly been a headline grabber is Akko Adams.
04:14 A young man from Kogiste, 23 years old, he's played in Norway for Lil Storm but then he
04:20 moved from an academy here in Nigeria based in Kaduna, it's called Jamba Football Academy
04:25 to Montpellier now where he's got 3 goals in 2 games, scored about the weekend as well
04:30 and he's got 20 career goals.
04:32 I mean, sometimes you do need these kind of players in your squad.
04:36 Very young, born 2000, just 23.
04:39 I mean, what else, what more can you expect from a young man like him?
04:43 He's a young man, going to Montpellier is the best move now for his career.
04:47 He has time to develop, he has time to bounce.
04:50 Like, ok now, he scored 2 goals last week.
04:52 Yes, he has steered his career in the new club greatly and I'm sure that young man will
04:59 only get better.
05:00 He will keep scoring.
05:01 Most definitely.
05:02 He has not played much, plenty of matches in his career and he has 20 goals.
05:06 Yeah, he has 20 career goals already.
05:08 So if he keeps banging goals in League 1, who knows, a big club might come for him and
05:13 he will be very, he will add depth, he will add options to the coaches, he will add depth,
05:22 he will add options for the strikers.
05:25 The coach will have numerous number of strikers to pick from.
05:30 Ok, well we'll see how it pans out for these young Nigerian strikers.
05:35 Wish them all the best as the African Cup of Nations is 145 days away.
05:41 But then, we're still going to be building up to it and all the content football-wise
05:46 here on The Nutmeg.
05:47 Thank you for watching this video.
05:48 You can subscribe to our channel on YouTube and also tap the notification bell to get
05:53 our latest videos.
05:54 My name is Harbinishi Osubo.
05:55 Thank you for watching.
05:56 This is still The Nutmeg.
05:57 See you next time.
05:58 Bye.
05:58 (upbeat music)
06:01 (audience cheering)