Iheanacho, Gift Orban & 2 Nigerian stars in red-hot form Eric Chelle must invite

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is facing a striker crisis following Osimhen’s injury, but several names are in contention to replace the Galatasaray striker, Afrik-Foot reports.

Four Nigerian attackers have quietly produced the sort of red-hot form across the opening weeks of the 2026/27 season that makes their September Super Eagles selection essentially unarguable.

Four Nigerian strikers Eric Chelle must invite

1. Kelechi Iheanacho (Bursaspor)

The clearest case belongs to Kelechi Iheanacho. The 29-year-old former Manchester City, Leicester and Celtic forward completed a summer move to Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor as a free agent, and has responded with nine goals and two assists in seven appearances across all competitions.

Iheanacho has scored in every single league match he has played for Bursaspor this season. Bursaspor are top of the TFF 1. Lig and have targeted a return to the Turkish Süper Lig, driven almost entirely by the Nigerian’s finishing.

The context matters. Chelle’s Super Eagles system is built around a target-man striker to complement Akor Adams’ movement, and Iheanacho’s aerial presence, hold-up play and box positioning fit that vacancy.

2. Gift Orban (Amedspor)

The second name Chelle cannot ignore is Gift Orban. The 24-year-old joined Turkish top-flight side Amedspor on a season-long loan from Bundesliga club Hoffenheim across the summer window, and has delivered a spectacular response.

Orban smashed a stunning second-half hat-trick against Istanbul Basaksehir on Saturday as Amedspor recorded a 5-0 rout at the Seyrantepe Spor Kompleksi Stadyumu 1.

The three goals took his 2026/27 Süper Lig tally to six goals in just five appearances, drawing level with Osimhen at the top of the Turkish top-flight scoring charts.

Amedspor coach Besnik Hasi has publicly praised the Nigerian’s mentality after coming off the bench to score two goals against Kasimpasa the previous week.

3. Tolu Arokodare (Ajax)

The third name is Tolu Arokodare. The 25-year-old striker joined Dutch giants Ajax on a season-long loan across the summer window with an option to make the move permanent, and has quietly produced five goals and two assists in eight appearances across all competitions.

Arokodare’s numbers are efficiency-driven. The Nigerian has needed only 355 minutes to register his seven goal contributions, giving him a goal involvement roughly every 71 minutes.

His three UEFA Conference League goals have come during Ajax’s group-stage campaign, while his two Eredivisie strikes have arrived against Telstar and PSV Eindhoven.

Former Ajax midfielder Marciano Vink has praised Arokodare’s footballing class beyond his physical presence, an endorsement that carries weight.

4. Rafiu Durosinmi (Genk)

The fourth name is Rafiu Durosinmi. The 23-year-old completed a €10.5 million summer transfer from Pisa to Belgian Pro League side Genk, making him the most expensive purchase in the Belgian club’s history, and has responded with five goals in six league appearances.

Durosinmi has scored in every league match except the goalless draw against Anderlecht, taking him to the top of the Belgian Pro League scoring chart alongside fellow Nigerian Mustapha Isah. His fifth goal came on Sunday, a late equaliser against league leaders Gent that earned Genk a 1-1 draw.

Chelle’s selection dilemma is a positive problem

For Chelle, the bigger picture is more optimistic than the initial injury crisis suggested. Osimhen, Nnadi, Yohanna and Azeez are all unavailable for the September window.

However, the four names above have collectively scored 25 goals across their 2026/27 campaigns to date, and each one carries a tactical case for inclusion that the AFCON 2027 qualifier fixtures against Madagascar in Uyo and Guinea-Bissau in Bissau will absolutely need.

Iheanacho brings the link-up play, Orban brings the sharp-shooting Süper Lig form, Arokodare brings the physical target-man profile Ajax has built its attack around, and Durosinmi brings the Belgian Pro League Golden Boot ambition.

The Super Eagles head coach cannot pick all four for both starting XI’s, but he can and should invite all four to the camp and let them prove they can fill the void created by Osimhen’s injury.