Sports

Osimhen excited to qualify for another AFCON

By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
19 June 2023
 

[FILES] Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen kicks the ball during the 2022 Qatar World Cup African qualifiers group 3 football match between Nigeria and Central Africa Republic at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, in Surulere in Lagos State, on October 7, 2021. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen has expressed his excitement after qualifying for another African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the Super Eagles which defeated Sierra Leone 3-2 on Sunday.

Osimhen scored twice in the first half against Sierra Leone to put the Super Eagles in command of the AFCON qualification fixture at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia.

Sierra Leone managed to make a comeback, scoring a goal in each half courtesy of Mustapha Bundu in the 41st minute after which came Augustus Kargbo’s thunderbolt in the 84th minute.

Kelechi Iheanacho after replacing the fumbling Samuel Chukwueze in the 71st minute scored in the 95th minute to secure maximum points and qualification with a match to spare in the campaign.

Osimhen who will be participating in his second AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast next year, having made his debut in the competition back in Egypt in 2019 is excited to feature once again.

“Hard Fought Win, Afcon Ticket Sealed! GOD Is The Greatest,” the Napoli talisman who has now scored an impressive 17 goals in only 26 international appearances for Nigeria wrote on Instagram.

Osimhen following his brace against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone has now surpassed the likes of Samson Siasia, Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo on the Super Eagles’ all-time top scorer’s chart.

He is above Ighalo, Siasia and Musa in the all-time top scorers’ chart but is, however, behind the quartet of the late gangling Rashidi Yekini, Yakubu Ayegeni, Ikechukwu Uche and Obafemi Martins.

Meanwhile, his brace against the Leone Stars took his tally to seven goals in just five games in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers. Osimhen was simply a thorn in the flesh of the Sierra Leonean defence.

The Napoli man was superb for the Super Eagles as he scored two very good goals and unlike the previous game against Guinea-Bissau, the former Lille attacker had a great link-up with the wingers.

Osimhen could have got a hat-trick but he missed some chances. The only reason he didn’t get rated 10/10 is that he failed to score a hat-trick before coming off for Taiwo Awoniyi on 81 minutes.

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