Napoli is among one of the top teams in the highest league in Italy, but they could be in trouble now that their star striker is out of commission. More importantly, the striker’s home country is in bits after learning that he may not be available for the World Cup qualifiers. The WC qualifiers are the prerequisites to the big tournament – teams must do well in the qualifiers to even make it to the international stage.
The Napoli striker will be sidelined for at least four weeks, ruling him out of the World Cup qualifiers with Nigeria. Although the Italian domestic league is over for the year, which saves Napoli, that doesn’t mean that the Nigeria Football Federation is as lucky.
Napoli Striker Not Able to Play in World Cup Qualifiers
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Napoli striker Osimhen is injured and will be out of commission for at least four weeks, meaning he will not be able to help his Nigerian teammates make the World Cup. His team faces off against South Africa on June 7th before playing an away game against Ivory Coast for the second WC qualifying match.
The Napoli striker was injured at the end of the Italian season, meaning that they need to find a replacement for him for his home country. This puts even more pressure on Nigeria, who needs to win both of its group games to progress to the next round.
Nigeria is a part of Group C, along with South Africa, Benin, Rwanda, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Ivory Coast. Nigeria needs to win their games to get much higher than the bottom-placed spots, like Lesotho and Zimbabwe with only two points in their previous matches.
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Osimhen at Napoli
Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian footballer who has played extremely well for Napoli this past season. He is one of the best goal scorers in Serie A due to his athleticism, smart tactical moves, and technique. He previously played in the German Bundesliga for VfL Wolfsburg to start his senior career, then went to Charleroi on loan, where he amassed a formidable 25 games and scored 12 goals. He then made a move to Lille in 2019, scoring 13 goals in just 27 games.
Since his move to Napoli in 2020, he has been a stand-out player. He has scored 65 times for his team in just 108 appearances, showing his longevity on the pitch, physical attributes, goal-scoring abilities, and consistency throughout the years.
For Nigeria, Osimhen has represented his country at the U17, U23, and senior levels, earning 35 caps for the senior squad and netting 21 times.
Looking forward to next year for Napoli, Osimhen will play a huge role – that is, unless he makes a move to an English Premier League side. There are rumors that Arsenal FC might be willing to pay in the triple digits for this talented attacker. Other clubs, like Manchester United, Chelsea FC, and PSG are also in the fight to sign this young and goal-minded player.
Valter De Maggio, a prominent Italian journalist, knows that Osimhen wants to make a move to the EPL if he can.
‘Osimhen wants the Premier League; if the offer doesn’t come, then he would consider the Arab one. There is no club paying the clause today; Osimhen wants Arsenal; otherwise, he would consider Saudi Arabia.’
For the talent that he has, and his younger age, we hope he chooses to go to the Premier League rather than to immediately go to the Saudi Pro League.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
