3 Exciting Prospects for the Nigerian National Team

3 Exciting Prospects for the Nigerian National Team

Things are looking pretty rosy for the Super Eagles heading into the summer of 2023. Having established a dominant position in their AFCON qualifying group, and with star striker Victor Osimhen helping his domestic team Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years (and picking up the Golden Boot along the way), those who enjoy a sporting bet can find some attractive odds on Nigeria going all the way at next year’s AFCON tournament.

There’s even better news in the pipeline, too. While the current selection is as strong as any since the world-beating team of 1994, there are several young prospects in their youth squads looking to break into the big time in the near future. Here are a handful of the most exciting young Nigerians playing the game today.

Gift Orban

One of the hottest attacking talents in Europe today, Gift Orban is already on the radar of national team coach José Peseiro and several Premier League clubs. It’s not difficult to see why, either, with records tumbling one after another for the 20-year-old. In his first season outside of his home country in 2022, he netted an impressive 16 goals for Stabæk in the Norwegian Premier League.

That form earned him a move to Gent in Belgium, where he quickly became the first player to score four goals in a single match for the club in the 21st century. He also scored the quickest hattrick in UEFA competition history, rattling in three strikes within the space of three minutes and 25 seconds against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Europa Conference League.

Victor Eletu

Another Nigerian-born youngster with a bright future and a high ceiling is Victor Eletu, who signed his first professional contract with AC Milan last December. The midfield dynamo is most comfortable as a defensive shield or deep-lying playmaker, but he also has the engine and the dribbling skills to be converted into a complete box-to-box midfielder under the right tutelage.

While Eletu has yet to play a single minute for either the Nigerian national team or the senior Milan side, he has featured heavily for its Primavera counterpart. Indeed, he’s been in imperious form this season, averaging 3.43 interceptions per 90 minutes for the team. At just 18 years old, there’s plenty of time for Eletu to improve and we could be seeing his name light up world football for many years to come.

Daniel Bameyi

Lastly we come to the curious case of Daniel Bameyi. The 17-year-old is so highly rated by the backroom staff at the Nigerian Football Federation that he has already made his debut for the Super Eagles. However, controversy arose in May 2023 when it was alleged that Bameyi had invented a club in order to be able to participate in the U20 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.

According to some reports, there is no such club as Yum Yum FC and Bameyi had merely invented it to secure his spot with the U20s. However, coach Ladan Bosso later refuted those claims and confirmed that it was indeed an Abuja-based football academy. Even if the club did not exist, it would surely be all the more remarkable that the right-back has been able to establish himself as U20 captain and appear for the senior team. Either way, it’s a testament to his pedigree and his potential.

With several bona-fide world class players already in the national side and plenty more up-and-comers breaking through, things are looking very positive for the Super Eagles in the years ahead.