AFCON ’25: Osimhen shrugs off Yekini record pressure, prioritises team success

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen says he does not lose sleep over comparisons with the late Rashidi Yekini, insisting his focus remains on helping Nigeria win matches, not chasing individual records.

Osimhen, who captained Nigeria to a 3-1 win over Uganda on Tuesday, dismissed suggestions he is obsessed with overtaking Yekini’s all-time scoring record of 37 goals.

“To be honest, I never go to bed thinking about trying to equal or surpass the record,” the Galatasaray forward said.

He explained that his priority is contributing to the team through goals, assists and overall effort, rather than personal milestones.

Osimhen added that he believes the record will come someday, but not at the expense of team objectives or enjoyment of the game.

The 27-year-old forward currently has 32 goals for Nigeria, five short of Yekini’s long-standing national record, and has scored only one goal from three games played so far.

In spite of failing to score against Uganda, Osimhen led by example as Paul Onuachu and Raphael Onyedika, who scored twice, sealed the victory.

Nigeria finished in Group C with a perfect record, nine points from three matches, advancing confidently to the Round of 16.

Osimhen stressed that leadership, teamwork and winning matches matter more to him than personal glory at this stage of his career.

He said his attention is firmly on guiding the Super Eagles toward their fourth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Morocco. (NAN)

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