Victor Osimhen Absent: How Adams, Arokodare, Awoniyi Have Performed for Super Eagles
- Victor Osimhen is set to miss the November international window for the second time in a row after undergoing knee surgery
- Eric Chelle invited Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare and Taiwo Awoniyi to lead the attack against Tanzania in AFCON 2027 qualifying
- Osimhen has scored 35 goals in 45 Super Eagles appearances, more than the three invited strikers combined
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Victor Osimhen will once again be absent from the Super Eagles squad during the November international window, leaving coach Eric Chelle to manage without his country's most prolific striker for the second successive break.
Osimhen picked up a knee injury after slipping on the turf at Rams Park during Galatasaray's 2-1 UEFA Champions League win over Stuttgart.
Source: Getty Images
The Turkish club subsequently confirmed that the striker had undergone successful arthroscopic surgery to remove a floating bone fragment from the affected knee.
Chelle has turned to Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare and Taiwo Awoniyi to shoulder the attacking responsibility. All three were also part of the squad during the September window when Osimhen was similarly unavailable.
Notably, Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad forward George Ilenikhena, who also featured in September, was left out of the latest squad.
Nigeria will face Tanzania in a double-header on matchdays three and four of AFCON 2027 qualifying, with the Taifa Stars serving as one of the tournament's co-hosts.
Super Eagles striker's performance
Akor Adams
According to Transfermarkt, Adams has earned 18 caps since making his debut in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in September 2025.
He found the net almost immediately on his first appearance, benefiting from an Osimhen assist, and has gone on to score seven more goals, including two goals at AFCON 2025, adding two assists along the way.
Tolu Arokodare
Arokodare made his international bow in Chelle's first game as head coach, a World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in March 2025, and has gone on to feature in 11 additional matches.
He opened his goal account for Nigeria in a friendly against Russia in June before netting the decisive goal in a 1-0 qualifier victory over Rwanda in Uyo in September.
Taiwo Awoniyi
Awoniyi is the most experienced of the three. He debuted in 2021 and represented Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon that same year, a tournament Osimhen missed because of a facial injury.
Across 12 appearances for the Super Eagles, Awoniyi has scored twice, one of those coming in the group stage against Sudan at AFCON 2021.
Comparison to Victor Osimhen
The scale of Osimhen's importance becomes clear when the numbers are placed side by side.
According to FotMob, the Galatasaray forward has played 45 matches and scored 35 goals for Nigeria, figures that individually exceed what Adams, Arokodare and Awoniyi have produced together across their combined 42 appearances and 10 goals.
Osimhen currently sits second on Nigeria's all-time scoring chart, just two goals behind the record set by the late Rashidi Yekini.
Super Eagles stars' performance at their clubs
Legit.ng previously reported how Super Eagles stars performed for their clubs in their final matches before the November international break.
Tolu Arokodare was the only striker who scored before the break during Ajax’s 2-2 draw against FC Twente, while Awoniyi and Adams blanked for Coventry and Venezia.
Source: Legit.ng
