Monday, March 9, 2026

Osimhen shrugs off Yekini record pressure, prioritises team success

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen says he does not lose sleep over comparisons with the late Rashidi Yekini, insisting his focus remains on helping Nigeria win matches, not chasing individual records.

Osimhen, who captained Nigeria to a 3-1 win over Uganda on Tuesday, dismissed suggestions he is obsessed with overtaking Yekini’s all-time scoring record of 37 goals.

“To be honest, I never go to bed thinking about trying to equal or surpass the record,” the Galatasaray forward said.

He explained that his priority is contributing to the team through goals, assists and overall effort, rather than personal milestones.

Osimhen added that he believes the record will come someday, but not at the expense of team objectives or enjoyment of the game.

The 27-year-old forward currently has 32 goals for Nigeria, five short of Yekini’s long-standing national record, and has scored only one goal from three games played so far.

In spite of failing to score against Uganda, Osimhen led by example as Paul Onuachu and Raphael Onyedika, who scored twice, sealed the victory.

Nigeria finished in Group C with a perfect record, nine points from three matches, advancing confidently to the Round of 16.

Osimhen stressed that leadership, teamwork and winning matches matter more to him than personal glory at this stage of his career.

He said his attention is firmly on guiding the Super Eagles toward their fourth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Morocco. 

Hot this week

FG Approves N100bn Solar Programme For Public Institutions

The Federal Government has approved N100 billion under the...

Rihanna’s LA Home Hit By Gunfire While In Her Mansion

Pop superstar Rihanna’s Los Angeles home was hit by...

Mojtaba Khamenei Becomes Iran’s New Supreme Leader Despite Trump’s Threat

Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new...

Nasboi Slams Carterefe Over Comment That Skit Making ‘Is Dead’

Skitmaker, Nasiru Lawal, popularly known as Nasboi, has berated...

Teni Pushes Past Security Details To Serenade Remi Tinubu At IWD Event

A captured video involving Nigerian singer Teniola Apata famously...

Topics

FG Approves N100bn Solar Programme For Public Institutions

The Federal Government has approved N100 billion under the...

Rihanna’s LA Home Hit By Gunfire While In Her Mansion

Pop superstar Rihanna’s Los Angeles home was hit by...

Mojtaba Khamenei Becomes Iran’s New Supreme Leader Despite Trump’s Threat

Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new...

Nasboi Slams Carterefe Over Comment That Skit Making ‘Is Dead’

Skitmaker, Nasiru Lawal, popularly known as Nasboi, has berated...

Teni Pushes Past Security Details To Serenade Remi Tinubu At IWD Event

A captured video involving Nigerian singer Teniola Apata famously...

IGP Appoints Anthony Placid As New Police Spokesperson

Olayiwola Matthew Olatunji Disu, Nigeria’s inspector-general of police (IGP), has...

Bandits Kidnap Several In Kogi Hotel Attack

Olayiwola Matthew Panic gripped residents of Egbe in Yagba West...

LASTMA Responds Swiftly To Fatal Road Crash In Gbagada

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) efficiently coordinated...
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img