With the African Cup of Nations just around the corner, if there is one player whose club form will guarantee him an automatic shirt in the Super Eagles, that player is no other than Dynamo Kiev forward,
Brown Ideye.
As at the last count, the fleet footed ace has banged in 12 league goals for his Ukrainian club – the last two being the brace he scored against Arsenal Kiev last weekend. What is even more interesting is
that the goals have been scored in just 17 games. In other words, Ideye has already equalled his last season’s total goals haul where he grabbed 12 goals in 27 league games! And with 13 rounds of matches still to go, one can be sure there’s yet more goals to come from Ideye who is currently his club’s leading
goleador and also the second highest scorer in the Ukrainian Premier League after Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mkhitaryan now on 17 goals.
But the Nations Cup will no doubt constitute a hindrance to Ideye’s ‘goalrious’ run and you can bet that Kiev will have mixed feelings when their prized asset would have to go and represent his country.
While the club does not stand in the way of Ideye’s international career and has expressed delight at the player’s rising profile with the Eagles, Kiev will surely feel the impact of Ideye’s absence
especially as he is the club’s main arrowhead. However, Kiev’s loss would be Nigeria’s gain for the period the former Sochaux star will be away on international duty and coach Stephen Keshi would be banking
on Ideye to replicate his superb club form when he puts on the green-and-white jersey of the Eagles in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Ideye would be in action on Tuesday as Kiev travel to Stadion Maksimir to take on Dinamo Zagreb in what is an inconsequential Champions League tie as they will be dropping to play
in the Europa League.