Osimhen: Rashidi Yekini will always be Nigeria’s greatest striker

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has made it clear that he is not focused on surpassing the national team’s goal-scoring record held by the late Rashidi Yekini. Instead, Osimhen emphasized that Yekini will remain Nigeria’s greatest-ever striker, regardless of whether the record is broken.

Rashidi Yekini, widely regarded as Nigeria’s best striker, scored 37 goals in 62 appearances for the Super Eagles, holding the title of the nation’s all-time top scorer.

The legendary forward, who also played for Olympiakos, made history by netting Nigeria’s first-ever goal at the FIFA World Cup and finished as the top scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations in both the 1992 and 1994 tournaments.

Read Also: Rashidi Yekini: 10 things to know about the iconic striker

Osimhen, currently with Galatasaray, has scored 23 goals for Nigeria, putting him 14 goals away from matching Yekini’s record. However, the 25-year-old has downplayed any pursuit of the record, stating that he does not feel pressured to become the all-time top scorer for the Super Eagles.

In a recent video posted on X, Osimhen shared his admiration for the late Yekini and clarified that breaking the record wouldn’t diminish the legendary status Yekini holds in Nigerian football history.

“No, no. I really don’t care about this. I just want to do my job and try to win games, score goals, and provide a lot of assists for my team,” Osimhen said. “If I equal it, I equal it, if I surpass it, I surpass it. But that doesn’t take away the fact that Rashidi Yekini is the greatest striker the Super Eagles have ever had.”

Osimhen added that Yekini’s legacy should be celebrated and respected: “This record stood for a very, very long time and it still stands, so I think we should give him his flowers and also celebrate him.”