China-based Solomon-Otabor targets more goals in 2025

One-time Super Eagles invitee, Viv Solomon-Otabor, has set his sights on more goals in his club career as he hopes to make more impact within his team in the year 2025, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Cangzhou Mighty Lions forward was the club’s third highest goal scorer last season with six goals as they finished 13th with 29 points.

Ahead of another season in the Chinese Super League, the England-born forward says he is focused on getting better to improve his numbers.

“I’m only looking forward to whatever is in front of me that will be a good project for me to continue to strive and help me to improve and be better,” he said.

“My target for 2025 is to continue how I finished the season, score more goals, assist my teammates and earn another call up to the national team. With hard work and dedication nothing is impossible,” he added.

Before moving to China, Solomon-Otabor has played mostly in Europe, prominently featuring for Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, CSKA Sofia, and Wigan Athletic.

In January 2022, Solomon-Otabor signed for Rukh Lviv of the Ukrainian Premier League. After joining his teammates at a training camp in Turkey, he had been in Ukraine for only one training session when the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to the postponement of the football season.

Travelling with two team-mates, Solomon-Otabor drove to the Polish border and managed to cross after a 10-hour wait, before heading to Kraków to fly to London.

After two years, he joined Cangzhou Mighty Lions on February 29, 2024.

“I was very surprised at how good the level was in China because it’s something new. There are a lot of quality players in the league who have been given a platform in Asia to express themselves and show their abilities,” he said.

The 28-year-old was handed a Super Eagles invitation by former coach Gernot Rohr in 2019 as a late replacement for Samuel Kalu.