Victor Osimhen hat-trick against Benin fires Nigeria into World Cup playoffs and pushes him closer to breaking Rashidi Yekini’s historic goal record
Victor Osimhen hat-trick lit up Uyo on Tuesday evening as Nigeria’s Super Eagles thrashed Benin Republic 4–0 to book a place in the African playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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The Napoli forward delivered a performance brimming with class and confidence, scoring a superb hat-trick that now places him second on Nigeria’s all-time goalscorers’ list.
His tally of 29 goals in just 43 appearances puts him within eight of the late Rashidi Yekini’s revered national record of 37 goals.
Osimhen opened the scoring inside three minutes, coolly finishing from a precise Samuel Chukwueze assist.
He followed up with a bullet header in the 37th minute, before completing his treble shortly after the break, latching onto a floated free-kick from Moses Simon.
Substitute Frank Onyeka rounded off the commanding win with a stoppage-time strike, as the Super Eagles sealed their place in the next phase of qualification in emphatic style.
With his latest heroics, Victor Osimhen’s hat-trick not only ignited a wave of optimism among Nigerian fans, but also added significant weight to his growing reputation as the heir apparent to Yekini’s record.
The 24-year-old is now just eight goals away from etching his name in the history books.
As of October 2025, Osimhen now sits ahead of Nigerian greats like Segun Odegbami (23 goals), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (21), and Obafemi Martins (18), as he climbs closer to legendary status in record time.
This win also signals a resurgent Super Eagles side finding form at the right moment, with renewed belief under the current setup and key players stepping up when it matters most.
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With the playoffs now secured, all eyes turn to the road ahead—and to whether Osimhen can maintain his blistering form long enough to rewrite Nigeria’s footballing history.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
