Five reasons Awoniyi will be the next Yekini

He is widely tipped to become Nigeria’s best striker just the way the late Rasheed Yekini was during his prime years.With the second coming of Eagles manager Stephen Keshi who has promised to give young players a chance in the team here are five reasons to believe the youngster could become an important player for […]

He is widely tipped to become Nigeria’s best striker just the way the late Rasheed Yekini was during his prime years.
With the second coming of Eagles manager Stephen Keshi who has promised to give young players a chance in the team here are five reasons to believe the youngster could become an important player for the senior national team.
Eye for goal- As demonstrated in the African Youth Championship in Senegal where he bagged four goals and three assists and in his well taken brace against Zambia in Lusaka that catapulted Nigeria to the All Africa Games in Gabon, the youngster has a striker’s instincts which was exemplified by none other than Late Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria’s highest goal scorer of all time.
Amazing link up play- Another beautiful trait that every striker dreams of which has been exhibited by Awoniyi is the ability to bring others into the game at fast pace which is key to opening up defences and creating scoring opportunities. This is one of the biggest assets of the late Vitoria Setubal striker which endeared him to millions of Nigerian supporters during the Tunisia 1994 Nations Cup (which Eagles won stylishly) and also shown by Awoniyi especially in the run up to his second goal which put the game beyond the Zambians in Lusaka.
Deliver under pressure- Football pundits always say the mark of a great player is to deliver the goods when the pressure is at its peak unlike the good or average players that get lost during high pressured matches. As Nigeria chased glory in the U17 FIFA World Cup in UAE two years ago, pursued its seventh AYC title in Senegal and faced elimination from Zambia in the race for AAG, Awoniyi was always available to lead the team to glory with well taken goals and assists. Yekini was in a similar situation when Eagles took on Bulgaria in the country’s first ever World Cup match in USA 94. The former UNTL player led the way with the first goal in what turned out to be a memorable outing for the team.
Amazing stamina- Given his lanky built, many will assume the player would easily be dispossessed of the ball unlike Yekini who had a body to go with grit and enviable stamina but in actual sense he has immense ability to retain position. Even when his deft skills don’t seem to be working he could meander his way out of troublesome situations using his wonderful stamina. This was more evident in the AYC final against hosts Senegal and the last leg of the all-important Zambia clash.
Defensive abilities- The most complete players in the game of football are those that could combine their functions with that of others for the benefit of the team. There are defenders that are beautiful to watch when storming forward. Dani Alves and Musa Mohammed are good examples here. In addition, there are attackers who are always on hand to help out with defensive duties when the team is in trouble. Awoniyi falls into this category considering his ability to help defend when necessary in spite of his attacking job which was also a trait late Yekini was known for during his playing days.