One of my favorite comeback stories this year has been Victor Osimhen’s .

Malaria had weakened his body to the point where he failed trials at Club Brugge and Zulte Waregem last year. Now he’s set to join Lille for €14m & play CL football after scoring 19 goals for Charleroi.

I think Nigeria’s 2015 U17 WC team is developing a lot better than the team that won it in 2005.

Osimhen has had a breakout season at Charleroi, Samu Chukwueze has been sensational at Villarreal, and Orji Okwonwko is playing regularly in Montreal.

Also, keep an eye on Kingsley Michael, who played regular minutes on loan at Perugia last season. Good box-to-box midfielder who can make things happen in transition.

The biggest disappointment so far is Kelechi Nwakali. One of the most talented players in the squad but hasn’t developed one bit in his four loan spells. He’s had visa and work permit issues, and didn’t even start for Porto’s B team.

Needs to have a big season in 2019/20.

Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League has been crucial in developing Nigerian talents, preparing them for the top level and getting them big moves.

-Wilfred Ndidi joined Genk in 2015; went to Leicester for £17m in 2017
-Samuel Kalu joined Gent in 2017, went to Bordeaux for €8.5m in 2018

The likes of Moses Simon, Anderson Esiti, Emmanuel Denis and Henry Onyekuru have all exploded onto the scene after a breakout season in Belgium.

David Okereke could do the same at Club Brugge this season. https://twitter.com/zachlowy/status/1154436277804179466?s=21

Onyekuru is set to join Monaco for €13 million, but his visa has not arrived yet, which is holding up the deal. ( @mohamedbouhafsi)

Victor Osimhen finishes his Ligue 1 debut with a brace, leading Lille to a 2-1 victory against Nantes.€12m is a bargain for a player of his talent.

I wrote about Osimhen for @betcoza: https://qoo.ly/y2x22