Former Super Eagles stars have praised Napoli striker Victor Osimhen after becoming Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in the Italian Serie A.
Those interviewed include Sunday Oliseh, Emmanuel Amuneke and Daniel Amokachi.
Osimhen – who helped the Partenopei to a 2-0 win over Empoli on Tuesday – which extended Napoli’s lead at the top of the log to 10 points – has the most goals in the Serie A so far with eight goals from 10 games.
Praising the striker after his impressive start to the season, former Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, says his club form makes him optimistic the Eagles will soar again.
“Osimhen makes me very optimistic concerning the Super Eagles’ resurgence. He is full of pace, power, precision and self-belief,” Oliseh said.
“He is the closest striker to the late Rashidi Yekini that I have seen in recent times.”
Former Eagles assistant coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, on his part, admitted the Napoli striker has become an important player for both club and country following his meteoric rise.
Amuneke tutored Osimhen at the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile, where he finished record top scorer with 10 goals to attract interest from several top European clubs, before he eventually signed for Bundesliga club Wolfsburg.
After two seasons in Belgium with Sporting Charleroi and Lille in France, Osimhen joined Napoli on a five-year contract with an option for another year in 2020, and has become Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in the Italian Serie A with 32 goals.
“He is now the future of Nigeria football,” Amuneke said.
“Yekini is incomparable with any striker but Osimhen is close to what he was like.”
Amuneke, however, warned that having “world-class” Osimhen in the Eagles was not enough for the team.
“For Nigeria to achieve anything meaningful, we need a strong team, which is not just about two or three players.
“We need top players in all departments as well as those on the bench. That way, at any given time, anyone can play.”
Former Eagles coach, Daniel Amokachi, also expressed confidence that if he stays fit, Osimhen would get better.
“We all know he is a quality player, no doubt about that,” Amokachi said.
“He is a No.9 any club would love to have in their team. The future is in his hands and injury-free, he will keep flying.”
Osimhen, 23, made his Eagles debut in 2017 and played 23 matches, scoring 15 goals.
This article was most recently revised and updated 7 months ago
