Watford's Odion Ighalo is 'one of the best strikers in Europe', according to former Nigeria defender Isaac Semitoje.
The 26-year-old has scored 14 goals in the Premier League this season - a tally only bettered by Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku - to fire the Hornets to ninth place in the table.
Ighalo's form has seen the forward linked with a move to Manchester United - which he has confessed is his "dream" - and Semitoje is adamant his countryman is already one of the continent's finest players.
“Ighalo is one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment,” he told Punch.
“But he must reproduce the form he demonstrates in every game in the Premier League when playing for the Eagles.
“Ighalo can be the new Rashidi Yekini if he works harder - and he must have self-belief and confidence like Yekini."
Although Ighalo's form for the Hornets has earned widespread praise on these shores Semitoje believes the striker needs to score regularly for the Super Eagles before he is seen as a great in Africa.
“He will only be taken seriously in Africa if he scores goals to help the Eagles win titles.
“He has a chance to make a name for himself in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup.
“He should score goals to enable the country to qualify for the two tournaments.”
Ighalo has scored two goals in seven appearances for Nigeria, who currently occupy second place in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group behind Egypt.
