‘Yekini will always be Nigeria’s greatest striker’ – Osimhen

Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has lauded the late Rashidi Yekini as the greatest striker in Nigeria’s football history, despite his own pursuit of Yekini’s record as the Super Eagles’ all-time leading scorer.  

Osimhen, 25, recently matched Segun Odegbami’s tally of 23 goals, becoming Nigeria’s joint second-highest scorer.

His equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Benin Republic last Thursday further highlighted his prowess, but Yekini’s remarkable record of 37 goals in 62 appearances remains unbroken.

In a video shared on social media, Osimhen expressed his deep respect for Yekini, emphasizing that even if he surpasses the iconic forward’s record, Yekini’s legacy as a football legend would remain untouchable.

Osimhen’s tribute underscores the profound influence Yekini continues to have on Nigerian football, inspiring both fans and players alike.

“No, no. I really don’t care about this. I just want to do my job and try to win games, score goals, and provide a lot of assists for my team,” Osimhen said.

“Then 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. 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.”

Yekini, who wrote his name in Nigerian football folklore by scoring the country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal, dominated African football during his prime, claiming the top scorer award at the Africa Cup of Nations in consecutive tournaments – 1992 and 1994.

The late striker’s impressive tally of 37 goals has stood for nearly three decades, highlighting the magnitude of his achievement and the challenge facing Osimhen in his pursuit of the record.

Osimhen’s journey to potentially breaking the record has seen him emerge as one of Africa’s most lethal strikers, with the majority of his 23 goals coming in AFCON qualification matches, demonstrating his importance to the national team’s success.

The on-loan Napoli man had the opportunity to reduce the gap to Yekini’s record on Monday but could not find the net after coming on as a 77th-minute substitute in Nigeria’s shock 2-1 defeat to Rwanda in Uyo.