Onuachu replaces injured Simon in Super Eagles squad

GENK striker Paul Onuachu has been added to the main squad of the Super Eagles to replace Moses Simon for the November fixtures against Sierra Leone, the Nigerian team announced on Monday.

The Super Eagles battle Sierra Leone’s Leone Stars in two matches in four days for a place at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The first encounter is scheduled for Benin City on 13 November with the second leg on 17 November in Freetown.

Onuachu was initially placed on standby for the matches, but Simon has now pulled out after getting injured in Saturday’s Ligue 1 clash between his club Nantes and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 26-year-old Onuachu has been in fine form for Genk in the Belgian Pro League this season.

He scored in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Eupen, taking his season’s tally to a very impressive nine goals and one assist in 10 appearances.

The over six foot tall centre forward made his Super Eagles debut in 2019 and has scored once in seven outings for the national team.

Despite his red-hot club form, Onuachu faces serious competition in the Super Eagles attack, especially from Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, who are also both in the squad for the Sierra Leone games.