Lithuania national team coach Edgaras Jankauskas has expressed strong confidence in Super Eagles forward Terem Moffi, saying the striker has the quality to succeed while playing for Portuguese giants FC Porto following his recent performances for the club.

Moffi made an immediate impact after being introduced by coach Francesco Farioli during the closing stages of Porto’s 1-0 victories over Nacional and Rio Ave.

The Nigerian forward was again used as a substitute against Arouca at the Estádio do Dragão, where he replaced Deniz Gul. Just over thirty minutes after coming on, Moffi scored his first goal for the club, with the assist coming from teammate William Gomes, helping secure a 3-1 victory.

Those close to Moffi are not surprised by his rapid adaptation, including Jankauskas, who previously worked with the striker during his time at FK Riterai in Lithuania in 2019.

Jankauskas, a former striker who also represented Porto, Benfica, and Belenenses during his playing career in Portugal, helped develop Moffi during his early professional years.

Speaking about Moffi’s development, Jankauskas told noticiasaominuto: “I have in mind a player who scored many goals, full of qualities. His right foot wasn’t at the level he wanted, he was great using his left, combining speed, agility and physical power, but he was predictable because he couldn’t be efficient with his other foot. He always went to the left.”

He further explained how Moffi worked to improve his versatility during training sessions.

“He started improvising on the right, and improved a lot. Of course, our league won’t define the player you’ll become, it won’t determine your success, it’s always debatable.”

Jankauskas also highlighted Moffi’s journey from Africa and his determination to seize opportunities.

“But, fortunately, Moffi has become a great example. He came from Africa, wasn’t lucky at his first club, here he took advantage of his second chance and showed that he was far above the level of the league,” he said.

Wale Adejumo

Photo Credit: fcporto.pt