Osimhen’s journey to toppling Yekini as Super Eagles highest goalscorer

New Galatasaray forward, Victor Osimhen goal in the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s 3-0 victory over Benin has brought him closer to overtaking Rashidi Yekini in Nigeria’s all-time scoring charts.

However, he still has a long way to go before catching up with the legendary Yekini.

During the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Uyo, played on Saturday night, Osimhen found the net just six minutes after coming on as a substitute late in the second half.

Ademola Lookman had open the scoring for the Super Eagles, and Osimhen’s well-placed and thunderous finish from Wilfred Ndidi’s cross doubled the lead before Lookman added a third to completely demolish the Squirrels of Benin.

This goal marked Osimhen’s 22nd for Nigeria, putting him just one shy of Segun Odegbami’s 23 goals.

In fact, courtesy of the goal, the striker has surpassed Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who held the third spot for years with 21 goals in 58 appearances.

With only one goal scored at the AFCON earlier this year, Osimhen shared third place with Aiyegbeni.

The forward boasts an impressive rate of 0.61 goals per game for the Super Eagles.

Despite failing to find the back of the net in six international games, he is now back firing.

Rashidi Yekini remains Nigeria’s top scorer with 37 goals, a tally that Osimhen is still 15 goals away from matching.

The striker’s 22 goals for the national team have largely come in AFCON qualifiers, where he has netted 16 times in 13 matches.

He has also scored four goals in World Cup qualifiers, one in AFCON tournaments, and one in friendly matches.

As Nigeria prepares to face Rwanda in their next AFCON qualifying fixture, Osimhen will aim to add to his tally and continue his chase to become Nigeria’s all-time leading scorer.

With his current form, the striker is on track to surpass Odegbami soon and edge closer to Yekini’s formidable record.

Rashidi Yekini celebrates scoring Nigeria’s first ever goal at the World Cup in 1994.

The Osimhen Fact-file:

*Name: Victor James Osimhen

*Date of Birth: December 29, 1998

*Place of Birth: Lagos, Nigeria

*Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)

*Position: Striker

*Current Club:* Galatasaray (on loan from Napoli)

*National Team: Nigeria

*Career:

– Youth career: Ultimate Strikers Academy (2014-2015)
– Professional career:
– VfL Wolfsburg (2017-2018)
– Charleroi (2018-2019)
– Lille (2019-2020)
– Napoli (2020-2023)
– Galatasaray (2023-present)
– International career:
– Nigeria U-23 (2018-2019)
– Nigeria national team (2019-present)

*Achievements:

– Lille: Ligue 1 Golden Boot (2019-2020)
– Napoli: Serie A Best Foreign Player (2020-2021)
– Nigeria: AFCON Qualifier Top Scorer (2021)

*Style of Play:

– Physical striker with pace, power, and finishing ability
– Clinical in front of goal with both feet
– Aerial threat from set pieces
– Presses defenders and chases down loose balls

*Personal Life:

– Born in Lagos, Nigeria
– Raised in a football-loving family
– Idolizes Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba
– Supports charitable causes, including education and healthcare initiatives in Nigeria.

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