Osimhen surpasses Yakubu to become the third-highest scorer for the Eagles.

 

Victor Osimhen has overtaken Yakubu Aiyegbeni to become the third-highest goal scorer in Super Eagles history after scoring his 22nd international goal on Saturday.

The Napoli striker made his mark in Nigeria’s 3-0 victory over Benin Republic in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Akwa State. Osimhen, who recently joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute, replacing Victor Boniface. He quickly made an impact, scoring Nigeria's second goal just six minutes after his introduction, following Ademola Lookman’s first-half opener.

This goal not only cemented Nigeria's comfortable win but also further solidified Osimhen’s place in Nigerian football history. Since his debut for Nigeria on June 10, 2017, Osimhen has scored 22 goals in 36 appearances, averaging an impressive 0.61 goals per game. His prolific form, especially during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers where he scored 10 goals, has contributed significantly to his rise on the scoring charts.

Osimhen’s achievement sees him surpass Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who previously held the third spot with 21 goals in 58 appearances. Earlier this year, Osimhen had shared third place with Aiyegbeni after scoring one goal at the AFCON. Now, Osimhen is positioned behind only the legendary Rashidi Yekini and Segun Odegbami on the all-time list. Yekini, with his record 37 goals, remains the benchmark for Nigerian strikers. He was a key figure in Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON win and the first Nigerian to score in a World Cup during the 1994 tournament in the USA.

Segun Odegbami, known as ‘Mathematical’ for his precise dribbling and scoring, holds the second spot with 23 goals. His contributions were pivotal in Nigeria’s first AFCON title in 1980, and his record has stood for over forty years.

Ikechukwu Uche, with 19 goals, follows Aiyegbeni in the top five, having made notable contributions in AFCON and World Cup qualifiers.

As Osimhen continues to score regularly, speculation about his potential to break Yekini’s long-standing record of 37 goals intensifies.