Amuneke: Why Chelsea target underperformed at AFCON

by Thando Mpembe

Thursday Feb 15, 2024. 17:41

Former Nigeria international Emmanuel Amuneke has explained why Chelsea target Victor Osimhen struggled to score goals at the recent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

As one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers at the moment, Osimhen was tipped to challenge for the Golden Boot in the Ivory Coast. However, the Napoli star scored just one goal en-route to the final, where the Super Eagles suffered a 2-1 loss against the Elephants this past Sunday.

According to Amuneke, Nigeria’s defensive tactics hindered Osimhen’s attacking prowess and that his quality was reduced going forward.

 “You know in this AFCON, Osimhen spent a lot of time helping the team to defend, and when you have a striker that is so dangerous, move a lot and then at the end of the day he is coming to defend. I think it reduces his quality,” Amuneke told  News Central TV, as per Daily Post.

“Osimhen is a player that when you look at him, moves a lot and needs players that can actually, you know, give him those balls into spaces where he can become effective and functional.”

https://dailypost.ng/2024/02/13/amuneke-explains-why-osimhen-did-not-perform-well-at-afcon/