Victor Osimhen praises the late Rashidi Yekini as Nigeria’s greatest striker, acknowledging his record while continuing his own goal-scoring journey for the Super Eagles.
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite being on track to break Rashidi Yekini’s long-standing record as Nigeria’s top scorer, Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has paid tribute to the late Super Eagles legend, describing him as the country’s greatest striker.
Osimhen recently equalled Segun Odegbami’s record of 23 goals for Nigeria following his goal in the 1-1 draw with Benin Republic.
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However, the 25-year-old still trails Yekini’s impressive tally of 37 goals in 62 appearances. In a video shared on social media, Osimhen expressed his admiration for Yekini, stating that surpassing the record would not diminish the late striker’s legacy.
“I don’t really care about this,” Osimhen said. “I just want to do my job and try to win games, score goals, and provide a lot of assists for my team.
If I equal it, I equal it; if I surpass it, I surpass it, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Rashidi Yekini is the greatest striker the Super Eagles have ever had.”
Yekini’s record has remained unbeaten for nearly three decades, and Osimhen emphasized the importance of celebrating Yekini’s achievements.
“This record stood for a very, very long time and it still stands, so I think we should give him his flowers and also celebrate him,” he said.
Yekini, who famously scored Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup goal, was a dominant figure in African football, winning the Africa Cup of Nations top scorer award in 1992 and 1994.
His legacy in Nigerian football remains untarnished, and Osimhen’s admiration for him underscores the respect he holds for the legendary striker.
Osimhen, currently one of Africa’s most prolific strikers, has had a remarkable journey with the Super Eagles, with his 23 goals primarily coming in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Despite the gap between his tally and Yekini’s record, the young striker’s rise continues, with the potential to break the record in the near future.
While Osimhen had an opportunity to close the gap in a recent match against Rwanda, he could not find the net after coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute.
However, with several more matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 AFCON, Osimhen has ample time to catch up to Yekini’s iconic goal-scoring achievement.
Source: Read more at freelanews.com
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
