Including Iwobi, Leicester City pair-Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis (Nottingham Forest), with Southampton’s Paul Onuachu and Joe Aribo are in the nail-biting struggle to avoid relegation at the end of the season.

Leicester City came from a goal down to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.  Matheus Cunha silenced the home side by scoring for the Wolves in the 13th minute, but Iheanacho restored the parity from the spot on 37′ after Jamie Vardy had been felled inside the box by a Wolves defender.

Timothy Castagne scored Leicester’s winner on the 75′, gifting the winners to move up to the 17th spot on the league table. Awoniyi and Dennis were involved in the 3-2 thriller at Anfield, which ended with Nottingham Forest on the losing end but not without a fight.

Thus, Leicester swaps place with Iwobi’s Everton, who dropped into the relegation zone to 18th position following their scoreless tie at Selhurst Park with 12th-placed Crystal Palace.

Diego Jota’s brace (47′, 55′) and Mohammed Salah (75′) scored for Liverpool, while Neco Williams (71′) and Morgan Gibbs-White found the net for Forest. The loss confined Forest to the 19th spot on the table with Southampton, which played out a 3-3 draw with leaders Arsenal on Friday, remaining the lowest-ranked side on 20 points.

Though, what cannot be discounted is that the relegation dogfight is undoubtedly on. But what is disheartening is that the resolve and determination of the Nigerians to escape the drop with their club sides is off, if not woeful.

With the prospect of as many as seven Nigeria internationals relegated to the lower level of Championship football at the end of the season becoming a reality, Nigeria’s international football quality would indeed nose dive. Also, Nigeria’s Super Eagles won’t be as feared and respected as they formerly were.

The realization that minnows like Guinea Bissau and Central African Republics have beaten the once dreaded Super Eagles in international championships at the nation’s capital of Abuja in recent years would further embolden others to see the Super Eagles as very beatable.

Also, with a Super Eagles team featuring at least seven English Championship players, future opponents must now fancy their chances against a highly suspect Nigeria senior national team.