After a string of impressive performances for table-toppers Napoli in the Italian top flight Serie A, Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen’s name is on everyone’s lips.
Osimhen is the leading scorer in the Serie A this season with 12 goals and 3 assists across 14 games, making it his third straight season with double-figure goals in Italy.
In an exclusive with Afrosport , former Super Eagles and Wolfsburg striker Jonathan Akpoborie discussed the rise of the striker many Napoli fans refer to as “Mister Hattrick.”
When asked about what Osimhen needs to be on top of his game, Akpoborie urged the 24-year-old to continue working hard and listen to his manager’s instructions.
“Staying at the top is the most difficult part of football as he is now the center of attraction for most teams, and many managers will be drawing up their team plans to find ways to stop him,” the 54-year-old former footballer said.
“But I think Osimhen is more than just the goals; he works so hard and brings a lot more to the team than just putting the ball in the back of the net. If he continues this way and listens to his coaches, he is going to be at the top for a long time.”
Akpoborie spoke on the Super Eagles’ failure as a team over the last year and the group of national team players hitting top form at the right time in Europe, notably Ademola Lookman and Terem Moffi.
He said: “I am happy our boys are doing well all over; it’s not just Osimhen; there is Lookman and Moffi too, but I personally think our problem is the inability to bring someone in to make use of their strengths in the right way.
“Not to sound disrespectful, I don’t think the new coach [Jose Peseiro] can do that either; we need someone to sit down and build the boys up before we can say, we have a team.”
The former Stuttgart forward also believes that if the Napoli striker continues giving his all and improving his craft, he can surely emulate former Inter and AC Milan forward George Weah to bring home the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.
“Honestly, I know it is a tough one to do, let’s not forget that we still have the likes of Mbappe and the reigning champion Karim Benzema around,” he said.
“These are more rounded players; they can score from anywhere on the field; they are more involved in the game and play for top clubs; but Victor’s chances are very good; we know his quality; we know what he can do; and if he keeps at it and works hard, why not?”
Akpoborie hopes Osimhen maintains his blistering form as he attempts to lead Napoli to their third Scudetto and the first in 33 years.
Osimhen, who recently became the leading Nigerian scorer in Italy with 36 goals, is just the second African player to score 10 or more goals across three seasons in the domestic league, after Weah achieved the feat with AC Milan from 1995-1998.
