THE meteoric rise of Nigeria international Victor Osimhen has been leaving football fans across the world in awe of his astounding talent.
His sterling performances have attracted attention across Europe, with the continent’s richest clubs begging for his signature as their forward.
In the just concluded season in the Seria A, Osimhen won the Golden Boot, being the highest goal scorer with 26 goals.
And on Sunday, June 18, Osimhen scored two vital goals for the Super Eagles against Sierra Leone in Liberia to enable Nigeria to qualify for the AFCON 2023 competition (to be played in Cote d’Ivoire in 2024).
His goalscoring artistry has been shattering the records of some African football icons.
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5 African icons’ goal records Osimhen has knocked off
George Weah
Osimhen became the first African player to score most Serie A goals in the competition’s history, with 59 goals since he began his sojourn in Italy in 2020.
This feat broke Liberia’s George Weah’s record of 46 goals.
Frank Kessie
He is an Ivorien professional footballer who scored 41 in 204 games for Atalanta and AC Milan before he moved to La Liga club Barcelona.
Keita Balde
He is a Senegal striker and also has 41 goals to his account for Lazio, Inter, Sampdoria and Cagliari. He plays as a winger for Russian club Spartak Moscow.
Samuel Eto’o
A Cameroon football administrator and former player, he joined Inter Milan for the 2009–10 season, where he became the first player to win two European continental trebles following his back-to-back achievements with Barcelona and Inter.
He had 35 goals to his account.
Mohammed Salah
Mo Salah is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team. He played for Fiorentina and AS Roma where had 35 goals to his account.
In Nigeria
Osimhen, on Sunday, scored his 17th goal for Nigeria, thereby overtaking some records.
3 Nigerian players Oshimen’s goal feat overtaken
Samson Siasia
He played 51 international matches for Nigeria, in which he scored 13 goals, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
He participated in the national team over a period of 11 years and was recognised in Nigeria as the third leading scorer for the national team.
Ahmed Musa
He became the first Nigerian to score more than once in a FIFA World Cup match after scoring twice against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
With 108 appearances, he is Nigeria’s most-capped player since November 2021, has 16 goals for the national team.
Odion Ighalo
He also has 16 goals for the Super Eagles.
Other Nigerian players whose goal record Oshimen is yet to beat
Obafemi Martins
Martins made his debut for Nigeria in 2004 at the age of 19 and hung his boot at the national level in 2015. During his 11 years stint, he had 42 appearances and 18 goals to his account.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni
He is the third-highest scorer in the history of the Nigeria national football team with 21 goals. He represented the country at four African Cup of Nations finals, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Segun Odegbami
Odegbami nicknamed Mathematical, won 46 caps and scored 23 goals for the Nigeria national team. He guided the Super Eagles to its first Africa Cup of Nations title at the 1980 tournament hosted by Nigeria. The Eagles were then known as Green Eagles.
Rasheed Yekini
The late Rashidi Yekini remains the highest goal scorer for the Suoer Eagles with 37 goals.
He represented the nation in seven major tournaments, including two World Cups. He scored the country’s first-ever goal in the competition in 1984 against Bulgaria. He was also named the African Footballer of the Year in 1993.