Rohr explains Simy's Eagles omission as Crotone star becomes best Nigerian scorer in Serie A history

Manager Gernot Rohr continues to overlook Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo for national team call ups despite the striker's consistently finding the net in the last three seasons.

The lanky striker has been in the international wilderness for close to three years as he hasn't been included on a Nigeria roster since an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Seychelles in September 2018.

Since the beginning of the 2018-2019 season, Simy has mustered 54 goals and ten assists for Crotone in all competitions, contributing to a total of 64 goals, better than Umar Sadiq (61), Victor Osimhen (56), Kelechi Iheanacho (41) and Cyriel Dessers (40).

With Simy's brace today in his side's 4-3 win at Parma, the 28-year-old has now netted 29 goals since his Serie A debut, overtaking ex-Inter Milan wonderkid Obafemi Martins (28) as the best Nigerian scorer in the history of Serie A in the process.

Rohr has suggested that there are players ahead of Simy in his pecking order of the strikers ahead of the start of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Explaining why Simy has been snubbed, Rohr told Elegbete TV Sports : "You know that I invited Simy already for the last World Cup and he was with us in Russia and he came in sometimes.

"Now we have so many strikers, unfortunately we cannot play with five center forwards, when you see the center forwards we have already the competition is so big that it's not easy for anybody to come in our team.

"We have Onuachu, we have Osimhen, we have Kelechi who scored and going to the final of the FA Cup, we have also perhaps the comeback of Ighalo, it could be interesting also, we have Sadiq Umar who I invited, I wanted to see him for the first time last time but his club did not release him.

"Sadiq deserves also a chance - one of the best center forwards in Spain actually.

"Simy I know him very well, and so I didn't have to invite him again to know how he is.

"The last matches were the last opportunity also for me to see some new players because now we go to the World Cup and now will be too late to make experimentation.

"I know already Simy very well, he is a very good player".

Simy has not featured for the Super Eagles since replacing Ahmed Musa in the closing minutes against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup - his fourth cap for the national team.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Copyright ANS

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com