AFCON 2023: One goal in five games – Osimhen puts Nigeria’s success ahead of personal glory after Angola win

The Napoli striker is the reigning Africa Player of the Year, but the goals have dried off at the continent’s biggest football festival

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen insists he is pleased with Nigeria’s success and not bothered about his scoring form at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen arrived at the 34th edition of the AFCON as the biggest star on the continent after he was named the CAF Player of the Year in December.

The Napoli striker, the top scorer with ten goals during the AFCON qualifiers, opened his tournament account on matchday one, as he netted Nigeria’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea.

The Super Eagles have won every other match since, beating hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola to reach the semifinals. Osimhen impressed as an Ademola Lookman strike lifted Nigeria past the Palancas Negras on Friday. 

Interestingly, Osimhen has not added to his single tally, as Nigeria’s goals have come from the boots of William Troost-Ekong and Ademola Lookman, who now has three goals.

Osimhen has made up for his lack of goals with other positive contributions: he won the penalty against Cote d’Ivoire, forced the own goal against Guinea-Bissau, and assisted the opener versus Cameroon.

He has also added to the Super Eagles’ defensive solidity, helping to defend set pieces and pressing the opponents’ defenders high up the pitch.

Osimhen admits he would love to score more goals. However, the 25-year-old striker insists he is working towards the Super Eagles’ triumph at the AFCON rather than pursuing individual glory.

“Those who know me, they know I don’t put myself before the team. If my goal comes, they come,” the Napoli striker said, as per Ahram.

“I want to help the team with goals, of course, but if I am not scoring, I am defending. If I am not defending, I am fighting for them.

“I just want my team to be in the right mentality to win this tournament.

“It is a big prize for us, as an individual and also as a country. So I think we have the right mentality to make sure we bring the trophy home.

“We had to make sure we went into the competition with the right mentality.

“We have the quality, we have the squad to win games and to reach the final for me.”

Nigeria could reach the final of the AFCON for the first time in ten years should the Super Eagles overcome the winner of the clash between Cape Verde and South Africa.