Nigeria Golden Eaglets forward Victor Osimhen, checked in at the FIFA Under 17 World Cup 2015 in Chile as a strong contender of the golden boot in the competition. His record for the junior national side says it all.
With 39 goals in 71 appearances for the team before the tournament is a clear indication that he is one of the most sort-out player in the tournament.
The 16-year old striker has scored in all the matches Nigeria has already played in the competition setting himself as the leading highest goal scorer with 8 goals so far in the tournament.
His physical physique, composure in front of goal and ability to make his team mates get involved in play makes him an outstanding team player, hopefully the future goal miner of the Super Eagles.
This reminds me of one of Nigeria’s greatest striker and crucial goal scorer, late Rashidi Yekini whose composure in front of goal was spectacular over 2 decades.
Yekini scored 37 goals as a Nigerian International and represented the country in 5 major tournaments. He scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal in the World Cup.
In 1993, he was also named African Footballer of the Year.
Victor Osimhen record for the Golden Eaglets already supersedes Rashidi’s record for the Super Eagles in his career. This looks promising, because the young lad is just starting.
If rightly nurtured and guided, he could be the next Yekini or the long lost Star goal scorer Super Eagles have being searching for.
One can not really compare the two in all sense, but can derive a relative similarity that gives hope of a brighter future for the Nigerian football.
I am hopeful that one day, Victor Osimhen would play for the Super Eagles.
I believe that we could return to the glory days of the 1994 squad that won the Nation’s Cup and represented the country in its first World Cup appearance and even play better if we develop our football by “Catching Them Young”.
