George Ilenikhena: Inside a CIES index naming eight Nigerian U21s

Picture: IMAGO/ Oumaima Souaidi

Super Eagles forward George Ilenikhena is among 8 Nigeria-eligible gamers in the CIES Football Observatory’s brand-new research study of under-21s who outshine their team-mates, with the Al-Ittihad striker publishing a completing rating of 1.81.

The research study, reported by Pulse Nigeria on Saturday, covers outfield gamers under 21 in 65 competitors worldwide who have actually played more than 450 minutes, and was constructed with the football information business Impect.

It is not a list of the world’s finest young gamers. Each gamer is determined versus the average of his own team-mates, so a rating of 1.00 ways he carries out at his group’s level and anything greater ways he stands apart.

Ilenikhena’s numbers, and the guy ahead of him

Ilenikhena’s general index is 1.48. His finishing rating of 1.81 is his greatest classification, ahead of possibility development (1.46) and aerial attack (1.30 ), while his ground defence signs up 0.00.

He is not the leading Nigerian-eligible name. That honour goes to Philip Onyedika of Slovak side MFK Skalica, whose total index of 1.53 is the greatest in the group.

Kparobo Arierhi, a previous Remo Stars academy possibility, is 3rd of the 8 on 1.44, with completing (1.56 ), aerial attack (1.45) and take-ons (1.29) his finest locations.

The other 5 called are Emmanuel Chigozie of Jong Utrecht, Kelechi Nnamdi of Sturm Graz II, Ifeanyi Ndukwe of Levante, the Israel-based Andrew Idoko and Oghenetejiri Adejenughure of FC Liefering.

Analysis: What the index states about Nigeria’s next wave

The technique rewards gamers who bring their groups, so the profile of the Nigerian group is informing. The 3 with released ratings all stand apart most in assaulting classifications instead of protective ones.

Ilenikhena’s split is the clearest example. A 1.81 completing rating versus a 0.00 in ground defence explains a pure penalty-box striker, which is the function open up to him in the Super Eagles while Victor Osimhen recuperates, as the No. 9 race has actually revealed.

The list likewise indicates how spread the next generation is. Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain and Israel are all represented, which offers Eric Chelle’s personnel a large map to follow, much as the call for Slavia Prague teen Mubarak Suleiman revealed this month.

A relative index is not a cap-winning argument by itself, however for Onyedika and Arierhi in specific it is the sort of number that must put their names on the NFF’s radar before March.