Emmanuel Dennis who’s currently having the best form of his life in the Premier League with Watford has been tipped to shine along with Nigeria at the AFCON in Cameroon.
Although concerns of his absence at Watford as a result of the AFCON are currently a subject of discourse, the reverse seems to be the case with killer forward expected to lead the West Africans to glory once again.
The last time his form brought in a trophy was in 2017/2018 when he scored 5 goals to help Club Brugge claim the Belgian First Division title.
The 24-year old has found the back of the net eight times after 16 outings with the Hornets this season already.
But how would this transform into a real weapon for the Super Eagles of Nigeria who last emerged victorious in 2013?
Last week, Super Eagles interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen named Dennis along with Napoli forward Victor Osimhen to lead the lines for the team.
The AFCON would kick off in January 2022 and the Nigerian national team would begin their quest for a fourth title against Egypt.
Emmanuel Dennis stats for 2021/2022
He began the season in the Premier League following Watford’s decision to bring him to England due to his records.
Emmanuel Dennis has played sixteen Premier League matches at the time of writing and have scored eight times with five assists to his name.
He’s currently one of the best forwards in the English Premier League 2021/2022. Dennis is more of a high pressing forward who’s capable of firing past a goalkeeper at every given opportunity.
However, he’s had a few issues of passing in crucial times. Generally, Emmanuel Dennis is that forward you can rely on whenever you have a good passer of the ball capable of providing goal scoring opportunities.
Why Emmanuel Dennis would be Nigeria’s lethal weapon at the AFCON in Cameroon
Accurate finishing
Most of his goals this season isn’t just about the lack of a striker. Rather, Dennis is a player who has an accurate finishing touch at every point.
Positioning
The 24-year old is known for his ability to position himself going forward for his teammates. He’s a different version of a direct striker who lies and waits for the perfect pass from a teammate.
The Super Eagles would benefit immensely from this. Against a bigger opposition like Egypt, Nigeria would have to rely on players who can convert every single opportunity that comes their way.
Speed
Although Victor Osimhen is a speed star already leading the attack of the Super Eagles, Dennis offers a different kind of speed which most times become unnoticed by opposing players.
Emmanuel Dennis AFCON participation pros for Nigeria and cons for Watford
It is indeed an honour to represent your fatherland whenever the opportunity comes. For Nigeria, the craze by football fans across the country for an AFCON title would wear a new look with the current crop of players.
Dennis along with Victor Osimhen, Odion Jude Ighalo and Ahmed Musa is expected to light up the attack. The last AFCON was hosted by Egypt in 2019 where Nigeria finished third, the major problem was in the attack.
The Super Eagles lacked a good finisher and a problem that led to their semifinals exit to Algeria, who relied on a last-minute free-kick by Riyad Mahrez to reach the finals.
On the other hand for Watford, Dennis departure would have a great effect on the team. Most especially the current fight for survival in the Premier League.
As per Complete Sports Nigeria, Watford would try to stop him from participating at the AFCON. But, this move may not see the light of the day.
Emmanuel Dennis who’s proud of his call up for the Super Eagles is expected to prove himself at the AFCON in Cameroon in January next year.
