AFCON Qualifier: Onuachu, Iheanacho, Musa battle to lead Super Eagles attack

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is expected to make the decision on who will lead the team’s attack when they square up against Sierra Leone at the Siaka Stevens Stadium, Freetown on Tuesday.

Eagles top marksman, Victor Osimhen, was stretchered off injured in Friday’s 4-4 draw at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin after he dislocated his shoulder.

The 21-year-old has since returned to Napoli, leaving the team with a big choice on who to replace him.

While Osimhen was absent for last month’s friendly matches against Algeria and Tunisia, Paul Onuachu and Kelechi Iheanacho led the lines in each of the games.

In the 1-0 loss to Algeria, Rohr preferred Onuachu, but the Genk forward fired blank, paving way for Iheanacho in the game against Tunisia.

Although he missed a penalty, Iheanacho scored his solitary goal in the 1-1 draw against the North Africans.

Another player who could also be adopted by Rohr to play the striking position is team captain, Ahmed Musa.

Though a winger, Musa has been deployed to lead the Eagles attack in the past.

Our correspondent, however, gathered that Leicester man, Iheanacho, may be favoured for the striking role after his performance in training.

Both Iheanacho and Onuachu are in good goalscoring form for their clubs in the weeks leading to the Sierra Leone tie.

Iheanacho hit a brace and provided another assist in his last game for Leicester, a 4-0 victory over Braga in the Europa League on November 5, while Onuachu is the highest-scoring Eagles player in Europe with nine goals in 11 league appearances.

Meanwhile, the confederation of African football has appointed Guinean officials as arbiters for the encounter. Tawel Younoussa has been appointed as the centre referee while he will be assisted by his compatriots, Sidiki Sidibe (Assistant Referee 1), Abdoulaye Sylla (Assistant Referee 2) and Bangaly Konate (Fourth Official).

The match commissioner is Silvestre Cantussan from Guinea Bissau.