Super Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, have asked Nigerian football fans to refrain from comparing new Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen with Chelsea and Côte d’Ivoire legend, Didier Drogba.
The Franco-German gaffer insisted the former Lille of France top scorer is not yet on the same pedestal as the former football icon who is aspiring to lead Ivorian football as President.
Statistics of the achievements of the 2015 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglets in Chile available Rohr’s claim as Osimhen scored just one headed goal over the course of last season. That goal was against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League. He is however believed to possess the scoring ability of Drogba to warrant the comparison fans are making of the duo.
Drogba was known for his aerial prowess during his time with Chelsea with at least 34 headed goalsand was also a deadly free-kick taker, another attribute missing from Osimhen’s game so far when compared with Drogba’s.
According to ilnapolionline citing Il Mattino, Rohr explained : “He (Osimhen) is not yet like Drogba, he could become one by working hard to enhance his skills.
“I saw in the Champions League how Napoli plays, Victor will be able to take advantage of the spaces created by his new teammates.
“He is intelligent and prepared, he knows how to adapt to his companions and the game system. Deadly in spaces, he can play as first striker or with a partner.
“He has physique and speed, excellent left and right and above all great feeling with the goal.”
Osimhen scored back-to-back hat-tricks as Napoli defeated L’Aquila Calcio 1927 and Teramo in pre-season.
He is expected to make his Serie A debut in Napoli’s season opener against Parma.
Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged why the in-form Osimhen would have been in Manchester United and not at the Italian Serie A side if he had not turned down the Premiership side’s offer.
According to UK’s Daily Mail, Osimhen rejected a potential move to Old Trafford before joining Napoli for £54million, his brother, Andrew Osimhen has revealed.
The fact that fellow Nigerian Odion Ighalo already played at Old Trafford meant Victor did not contemplate the move out of respect.
“It is very true that Manchester United wanted Victor but he told me something like he had too much respect for Odion Ighalo to be competing for shirts with his senior colleague,” Andrew revealed.
“My brother holds Ighalo in high esteem and he just didn’t see himself going to Old Trafford to battle for a striking role with the highest goalscorer at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.”
Both forwards have played in the Nigerian national side together. Osimhen has made nine appearances and scored four goals since his debut in 2017.
Ighalo joined United on loan from Shanghai Shenhua in January and his switch has been extended until the same month next year, though he is not Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s automatic first choice.
Osimhen was linked with a number of Premier League sides including Liverpool and Tottenham.