Simy Nwankwo’s goals for Italian Serie A side Crotone mean he is rated one of Europe’s best scorers in 2021, yet considered surplus to requirements by Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr.
His 19 goals for Serie A’s bottom club is a new record for a Nigerian striker in a single season in one of Europe’s top leagues to overtake Yakubu’s Aiyegbeni’s 17 goals in the 2011-12 campaign for Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.
Despite these impressive statistics the Nigeria coach, Gernot Rohr, has indicated Simy is not part of his plans at the moment, something the player says does not worry him.
“As I said before, I have never stopped following his performances, but I believe that next year he must go and play in a club and in a team that is stronger than Crotone,” Rohr told website Europa Calcio.
“It will not be equally easy, but he would already have a better chance of returning to the national team.”
Simy’s 15 goals in 19 Serie A appearances since the start of the year is only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (19 goals in 14 games), Lionel Messi (19 goals in 17) and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Andre Silva (16 goals in 17) in Europe’s top five leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France).
The 28-year-old, who was a shock call-up to the Nigeria 2018 World Cup squad but has since been overlooked by Rohr, is philosophical about not adding to the five caps he won in 2018.
“I won’t say I am bothered about the Super Eagles. As a Nigerian I am a fan of the national team, we are all born to be fans of the Super Eagles,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“I share the same dream and ambition of every young footballer to one day represent the country. But it’s not in my hands, it’s not something I can control.
“I focus on the only thing that I can control, which is my my day-to-day performances, improvement, becoming better every day, working hard and doing the things I have to do for my club.
“That’s the only thing that I am able to control. What happens in the Super Eagles is out of my control.
“If it happens again, it happens and if not.. life goes on. I am not worried.”
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is preferred in the Nigeria squad to his Serie A rival Simy
Rohr also pointed out that at the moment Simy faces a lot of competition up front in the Super Eagles squad.
“However, the competition is huge: we have Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho from Leicester and Paul Onuachu from Genk, who is very similar to Simy in terms of features and physical build,” Rohr pointed out.
“Without forgetting Umar Sadiq and Odion Ighalo. So it is very difficult to be part of the Nigeria attack, we have very good players.”
Simy adds that despite, his 29 goals erasing the record set by compatriot Obafemi Martins (28 goals) – as the all-time leading Nigerian scorer in the Italian league for Inter Milan between 2002 and 2006, he holds no grudges against Rohr.
“I need to make it clear that making the national team squad is not an obsession for me,” he added.
