Ikpeba backs Osimhen to break Yekini’s record
Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba has backed Victor Osimhen to break Rashidi Yekini’s all-time Super Eagles goal-scoring record, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
Osimhen took his Eagles goal tally to 25 after his brace in Rwanda to become the most prolific Nigeria international after Yekini, who scored 37 goals.
“By the way he is going, Osimhen will soon eclipse the record of Yekini,” Ikpeba said.
“He’s a fantastic lad and a committed player, who gives everything for the country. We will soon see when he breaks this record.”
The 26-year-old striker moved to second place on Nigeria’s all-time scorers list after scoring twice in Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda in the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Kigali.
This achievement surpassed Segun Odegbami’s long-standing record of 23 goals, which had stood for 44 years since the legendary winger retired from international football in 1981.
“Osimhen has finally overtaken me and I think that is good because the record has been hanging on for a very long time. I am very happy for him and I want to say good luck to him,” Odegbami told NewsNGR Sports Extra.
“He is still young and he has a long way to go.”
Osimhen, who is currently enjoying remarkable form with Galatasaray where he has scored 20 goals and provided four assists in 20 Super Lig games, now needs 12 more goals to equal Yekini’s record of 37 goals, which has stood since the striker’s last game for Nigeria in 1998.
The Nigerian talisman made his Super Eagles debut in June 2017 in a 2-0 defeat against South Africa and has since established himself as the team’s main attacking threat, including notable performances in AFCON qualifiers where he scored two hat-tricks in 2023.
Following the victory against Rwanda, Osimhen has issued a warning to Zimbabwe ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier scheduled for Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
“We are ready. The remaining matches are wars and we must fight them with all that we have to win,” he told reporters at the Victor Attah Airport as the team arrived on Saturday.
A victory against Zimbabwe on Tuesday (today) will take Nigeria to nine points in their World Cup qualification campaign, putting them in firm contention for the ticket, especially if Benin Republic and South Africa cancel each other out in their fixture inside Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
