Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has built a reputation as the country’s number one striker and one of the best marksmen in world football.
Osimhen has been pretty much indispensable for the Super Eagles in recent times, with guaranteed goals and an unquestionable zeal whenever he has been called upon.
The Super Eagles, currently led by interim boss Augustine Eguavoen, are in action against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Friday, October 11.
🇳🇬 Nigeria 🆚 Libya 🇱🇾
Friday 11th October, 2024
5:00PM WAT🚨 LIVE ON AFROSPORT TV
👉🏾 https://t.co/8cAZWyB3qg 👈🏽
AFCON 2025 Qualifiers pic.twitter.com/rIGRl9CbAo
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) October 4, 2024
Although boasting a star-studded line-up, Nigeria will be without Osimhen, who is recovering from a thigh injury he picked up while playing for Turkish club Galatasaray.
The absence of the reigning African Footballer of the Year is certain to be felt, as his knack for goals and defensive actions from the front line is second to none.
Having scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 37 matches for the national team since his debut in June 2017, the 25-year-old ranks third in the all-time list of scorers for Nigeria, sitting behind only Yakubu Yekini and Segun ‘Mathematical’ Odegbami, two legends of Nigerian football.
Since his debut, the Super Eagles have played 85 games across various international competitions, ranging from the AFCON qualifiers, AFCON finals, World Cup qualifiers, and World Cup finals.
However, of all these games, Osimhen has managed to feature in 37, just about 44%, missing the rest due to injuries, omission from the matchday squad, or not being called up to the team.
With him leading the line, the Super Eagles have won 21 of these games, boasting a 56.8% win rate while also scoring 66 goals at the rate of 1.78 goals per game.
On the flip side, his absence in 48 of the team’s games has led to 19 wins, accounting for 39.6% of the team’s victories. Without him, the team has scored 57 goals at a rate of 1.19 per game.
Osimhen facilitates winning whenever he suits up for the Super Eagles, who have only lost five of the matches he has played as opposed to the 20 defeats they have suffered without him in the team.
It is, however, left for Eguavoen to decide who will start in Osimhen’s stead, but it is important to note that whoever replaces the Super Eagles’ No. 9 has big shoes to fill across the next two games.
