Osimhen overtakes Yakubu, now Eagles third-highest scorer

Victor Osimhen has surpassed Yakubu Aiyegbeni to become the third-highest goal scorer in Super Eagles history after netting his 22nd international goal on Saturday.

The Napoli striker’s latest strike came during Nigeria’s convincing 3-0 win over Benin Republic in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in the Akwa State capital.

The 25-year-old, who recently joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, started from the bench until being brought on in the 73rd minute as a replacement for Victor Boniface. He wasted no time in making his mark by putting Nigeria 2-0 up, just six minutes after his introduction following Ademola Lookman’s first-half opener.

This goal not only helped secure a comfortable win for the Super Eagles but also etched Osimhen’s name bolder in the annals of Nigerian football history.

Since his debut for Nigeria on June 10, 2017, Osimhen has now amassed 22 goals in just 36 appearances, boasting an impressive rate of 0.61 goals per game. His form, particularly during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, where he netted 10 goals, has been instrumental in his climb on the scoring charts.

Osimhen’s ascent sees him surpass Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who held the third spot for years with 21 goals in 58 appearances. With only one goal scored at the AFCON earlier this year, Osimhen shared third place with Aiyegbeni.

The current African Footballer of the Year now sits behind only legendary figures Rashidi Yekini and Segun Odegbami in the all-time list.

Yekini, with his record 37 goals, remains the gold standard for Nigerian strikers. The late forward, who played for the Super Eagles from 1984 to 1998, was instrumental in Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON triumph and became the first Nigerian to score in a World Cup, a feat he achieved at the 1994 edition in the USA.

Segun Odegbami, fondly called ‘Mathematical’ for his precise dribbling and goal scoring, holds the second spot with 23 goals. His exploits were crucial in Nigeria’s first AFCON title win in 1980, and his record has stood for over four decades.

Following Aiyegbeni now in the top five is Ikechukwu Uche, who netted 19 goals for the national team, with his contributions particularly notable in AFCON and World Cup qualifiers.

As Osimhen continues to find the back of the net with regularity, speculation grows about his potential to break Yekini’s long-standing record of 37 goals.